MINNESOTA 


HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS. 


VOL.  Yll. 


^T r- 

*  'i 


■ .'  ,     >  »  •  ■ 


vac 


Hon.  J.   V.  Brower, 

COMMISSIONER. 


TiiK  MISSISSIPPI  ji[\n.:R 


^nii  f'fs 


An  Hiwi 


^Ol  H(  K. 


HON     J     V     BfiH/WEM, 

1   yMft'-SSiONER. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI    IJIVER 


AM)    ITS 


SOURCE. 


All  Histoiical    and    Illustiatod    (U-offiaphk-al 

Ilecoi-d. 


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MISSISvSIPPl    RIVER 


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vSOLJRCE. 


A  NAKRATIX  K    AND    CRITICAL    HISTORY    OF    THK    DIS- 

COVKRV  OH  THK  RIVKR  AND  ITS  H  KADW  ATKRS. 

ACCOMI'AMKI)    in     THK     RKSl'l/FS    OF 

DKTAILKI)   HVDROdRAI'HIC  AM) 

ToPOCiRAPHIC    SLRVKYS. 


HY 


HON.  J.  T.  BROWEB, 

Commissioner  of  the   Itusai    Stufe   Park,   represvnting  al 


the    State    Ilistoricul   Societv.  \j\ 

WITH      AX     APPE>JDIX         ry^ 


HY  ALFRED  J   HILL.  ESO. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


•.•;  :::.  . 


•  • .  .• 


^XkKISON  &  SMITdr,   StATE^PpiMTSRS. 


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DETAILED   HYDROGRAPHIC   AN 

ITASCA     ST^ 

AT  THB  SOURO  Ol 

THE    MISSISSII 

STATE    OF    MIN 

U.   8.   A. 
Prbparbo  unosr  Authokity  ok  Am  A.ot  oir  thb  Li 

BY  J.  V.  BROWER,  CC 
1893 


Physical  Characteristics.— Extensive  heights  of  land  fomiing  a  basin,  the  distinct  curvature  ;i"*k  it.   a 

wth  numerous  lakes,  streams  and  springs.     The  principal  forests  are  of  white,  red,  ydlow  and  Banks  i^^^' '^ 

growth  of  diamond  willow.    The  soil  is  a  general  substratum  of  sand  and  gravel,  filled  with  large  and  ?^^  ?  ''^t. 

oine  forests.    The  surface  is  particularly  rough  and  broken,  with  a  predominating  appearance  charac-  ?i^*'' 

!he  forests,  moose,  bear,  deer,  fox,  porcupine,  oi:«r,  mink,  pheasants,  etc.,  abound.     The  nearest  »l 


;OGRAPHIC   AND   TOPOQRAPHiC    CHAKT 


OS*    TBD 


STATE     PA^RK 


AT  THB  souRca  or 

MISSISSIPPI    EIVER 

STATE    OF    MINNESOTA 

U.   8.   A. 

KITY    Oir    AJC    A.OT    0»    THB    LBOI«I.ATUI'Je,    Al>PltOVBZ>    APRIX.    BOTH,    1801 

BY  J.  V.   BROWER,  COMMISSIONER 
1893 


1 


let  curvature      x' 
IT  and  Banki 
ith  laige  and 
-ancecharac- 
The  nearest 


of  which  can  be  best  obaeri'ed  from  Rhodes  Hill  or  Aiton  Heights.  Dense  forests  abound,  interspersed 
pine;  cedar,  balsam  fir,  tamarack,  spruce,  maple,  ash,  elm,  basswood,  aspen  and  oak,  with  an  unhmited 
small  boulders,  covered  with  only  a  slight  mould  formation,  such  as  usually  characterizes  a  region  of 
teristic  of  a  picturesque  wilderness.  The  waters  are  stocked  with  northern  varieties  of  fish;  and  in 
accessible  points  to  the  Park  can  be  reached  by  the  Northern  Pacific  or  Great  Northern  railroad. 


■=M;^  -^^s:"     k^S^'"^^. 


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QEOORAPHie  POSITION. 
Noara  LAirniBB  tr        Sanouaurr  ItLum, 

LONCrrUDSWVTPBOIlG.  AT  " 

Noam  LATmiMi  at  Baoi 
Loiwmii»WB«Tra«i&AT  ' 
Dmtuicb  num  nn  arATS  Catitol,  ovatlnd 


U'41'- 


tf'l/i 


Ba*t  fbom  Wot 
NiHini  nam  Seom  " 
DUTAIKB  noM  t«c  Statk  CAFnOL  hf  tkc 
ni—iil  «f  tt»  ItliiliiUiiit  MTtr,  .  7.  . 
DittAiics  noM  Tu  Cia*  or  Mmco  bgr  the 

P*OM  GOLV  TO  BIC  LaKB, 

Pu«  G««  TO  Hbao  or  Bogrmix  Cusk,     . 

Pmm  G<n»  TO  Mabt  Lakb, 

rwou  Gnv  Ts  HaAo  or  Howaui  Ciius,  .  . 
rmem  Go*  to  Gsbatbi  Ultimats  tatmmnm 

m  On  Smbc*  ortht  tlliiliilnl  Um,  .  . 
PioM  OoLT  re  SovTs  Sbmb  Hmume  bb 

Sam  Lao,  at  thi  Tiiimi  Unit  oT  »»■ 


MS 

7S 

>s« 


•dS-iS 


ORiaiNAL  DMCOVEMES. 

Bauust  raoaAau  Occdtaiitb, 

Bakuot  Kitoim  NATins,  .    .    .  Siou:  AnlnibtilM;  Qilbww. 

FiuT  Kunnf  or  Wair*  Mm,     .       wniiiB  Uanfmm,  Oof. 

FiurAinaBincDncimBV.Itm  .    . 

»mty  R.  Scbooknft,  tljs. 

Jam  N.  Nkallit,  i«|t. 

Jalias  CkaabBt,  itr*. 

B(Mb  S.  HaII.  it» 

Hapcwril  Cteka,  dK 


SacomAuiBSvnc  DiaoowtTtftte- 
dpAlSmoB 

TMmD  AuiMKiic  Dmoitbilt,  BIk 


FomTa  AuTaKinc  DnoomiT,  U. 
S.  Sanwjr, 


Stxra  AUTHnfTic  Dimxivsst>  8w* 

m>»wnn  ia«<irk«l««dityri 
lliae*  auM  rwk  Lnr,    .    .    . 


J.V. 


COI 


ITAKA  LAFI 

Bu  Lass, 
Hkoixvt's 
Tb«  Nicou 
Makv  Lakb 
Tb>  Twin  1 
Niooixsr^ 


Joonmn  I 
Turn  lima 
SmLAm  Li 
Wiatrma  I 
WnmsL. 


TmsI 


\ 


I  # 


IIES. 

AnliiibolM;Qiib«r. 
UUuB  MorriMi^  laai. 

r  R.  Scbeolenft,  itjt. 

Fen  N.  NkalM,  itgC 

F«ltn  Ckaabtn,  ityi* 

Edwins.  H*ll,lt)s 

lopcwril  Onto,  i«6. 

r.  V.  »nmm,  m»,  91. 


CORRECTKO  ALTITUOCS  ABOVE  THE 

SEA  LEVEL. 

iTuc*  Lw*, i4sr  i 

Bu  Lakb, I4SI 

NlCOLLVT*S  MlDDLS  LAKB, l,46l 

T«B  NicoLurr  SnuMG*. jjt 

Uamt  Lau, 1.4M 

Tbb  Twim  LJUOSf 1,495 

NieouxT^  Uma  Lass, ,496 

Dasubb  Lacs, 1,513 

}oanma  Ijun, jis 

Tms  llnsuum  Snuiiai^ 1,555 

Smuurr  Lasb, 1,54^ 

•'uuToia  Mom  L*sb, ij4l 

.    • dSi 

I  Raoume  ds  loTe  Uunii    .   .     ijaV 
Tbb  •oiuiT  or  nn  lUvtaim  hi  Tau^ .   ,   .     tost 


OPnCUL  AREA. 
(v.  •.  tusnnrj 
Sicnam  6, 141, 35,  Hrauio  Comnv, .    .      4)) 
Su.1  una  6, 7,  H,  n,  3D  Md  51;  Mil  5%  Hb» 

■«•»  OMnrrr jA 

Sicnom  I,  t,  t  aad  4;  M*.  A  Bacsn 
CeuMTT, m6s 

SicnoM  I,  «  ),  4,  »  ic,  u.  n.  13. 14.  <S, 
l<tn,  ••,q,i4,>S.iN>r,  «.31.S4,3S 
■■d  iC:  14s,  36,  Bbltbahi  Coowtt.  .    .   ijAt  xi-no 

T«imTir«nrB  SqoAas  Miui,     .    .    iM«  <|m 

liwiM  or  ruK, 7 

Won    •     •     (tacUoMl), 5 


—^^ 


it-mmmmgmt**  m 


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r^t 


j^TI 


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PREFATORY  KOTE. 


The  authorities  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  upon 
the  acquirement  of  Louisiana,  then  constituted  in  part  by  the 
territory  afterwards  set  apart  as  the  State  of  Minnesota,  took 
steps  to  discover  physical  features  at  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river.  The  steps  thus  taken  were  continued  from  time  to 
time,  until  1836,  when  the  foundation  was  laid  for  a  scientific 
report  of  great  value,  in  which  was  described,  the  principal  afflu- 
ent to  Itasca  lake.  ' 

That  that  scientific  report,  adopted  as  a  part  of  the  official  record 
of  a  great  Government,  should  be  questioned  upon  untenable 
grounds,  without  a  scintilla  of  evidence,  save  only  the  bare  state- 
ment of  an  individual,  is  not,  in  itself,  an  extraordinary  event: 
but  when  public  records  and  educational  interests  are  contamina- 
ted and  a  deception  practiced  upon  the  citizen,  by  that  statement, 
it  became  a  duty  to  eliminate  from  the  record  whatever  may  be 
found  to  be  false,  and  to  confirm  and  acquiesce  in,  whatever 
may  be  found  to  be  true 

Solely  upon  the  broad  ground  that  geographical  facts  should 
not  and  must  not  be  made  subservient  to  the  selfish  and  personal 
individual  interest  the  present  report  has  been  made. 

To  follow  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi  river  to  its  utmost 
source  in  search  of  geographic  facts,  it  became  advisable  to  know 
of  the  historical  record  concerning  discoveries  from  the  mouth  of 
the  river  to  its  source. 

The  examination  of  these  records,  co-extensive  with  the  history 
of  the  discoveiy  of  the  coast  line  of  North  America,  imposed  a 
duty  requiring  great  care  and  labor.  Ex,,  linations  in  the  field 
at  the  source  of  the  river  have  been  accomplished  with  the 
same  great  care  and  labor,  that  has  been  exercised  in  the  field 
of    historical    research.     The   results   attained  are  combined    and 


Viii  THE   MISSISSIPPI   KIVER   AND   ITS  SOURCE. 

classified,  in  the  trust  that  the  record  of  this  labor  may  be  a 
benefit  to  luy  fellow  man.  In  submitting  the  results  of  this 
labor  in  this  volume,  the  hope  is  expressed  that  the  facts  found 
and  recorded  may  outweigh  the  errors  of  judgment,  which 
undoubtedly  exist. 

The  formal  dedication  of  the  Itasca  Basin  to  be  perpetually 
used  as  a  public  state  park,  its  legal  status  having  been  amply 
recognized  in  a  grant  of  lands  by  the  congress,  is  one  of  the 
benefits  of  this  examination,  in  advance  of  the  publication  of 
these  results,  under  the  official  auspices  of  the  State. 

To  Mr.  Alfred  J.  Hill,  who  ri'ndcred  most  valuable  service  in 
the  field  of  historic  research,  and  to  Mrs.  Georgiana  Demaray, 
Rev.  J.  A.  Gilflllan,  and  many  others,  for  valuable  assistance 
and  material,  I  owe  and  tender  sincere  acknowledgments. 

J.  V.  B. 

St.  Paul,   Minnesota,  .January,  1803. 


Classification  ()f  Suh-Divisions  aiul  roiitcnts. 


Pase. 
SUH-DlVISION   FlUST 1 

Preliminary  Memorandum  and  Communications. 

Suu-Di VISION,  Second 5 

Tlie  Report.  Preliminary  Considerations;  Geologic  Fea- 
tures; Reser/oir  System:  Mode  of  Procedure. 

Sun-Div'isioN  Third 14 

Wliat  Constitutes  Discovery.  Tlie  Spanish  Accounts; 
Pineda;  Espiritu  Santu  Bay;  Narvaez;  Cabeza  de  Vaca;  De 
Soto;  Apportionment  of  Credit:  Cartographical  Results  of 
De  Soto's  Expedition:  Conclusions  Drawn;  Do  Luna. 

Sub-Division  Fouhtii 38 

The  French  Accounts.  The  Papal  Bull;  Jacques  Cartier; 
Champlain;  Sieur  Jean  Nicolet;  Raymbaultand  Jogues: 
Groseijl  jjrs  and  Radisson;  La  Salle  on  the  Ohio  River; 
Joliet  ciud  Marquette. 

Sub-Division  Fifth 69 

The  French  Account,  Continued.    La  Salle  on  the  Illinois 
River:  Hennepin  and  His  Companions;    La  Salle  on  the 
Mississippi;  Iberville:    Sagean  and  Le  Sueur;   Charleville; 
Minor  Reports  as  to  the  Source  of  the  Mississippi. 
Sub-Division  Sixth 96 

Early  Territorial  Claims;  Extent  of  Canada  and  Louisiana; 
Transfer  of  Louisiana  by  France  to  Spain;  Boundary  be- 
tween French  and  English  Possessions;  Western  Boundary 
of  the  United  States;  Transfer  of  Louisiana  by  Spain  to 
Franou;  Cession  by  France  to  the  United  States  of  America; 
Indian  Occupancy,  Traditions  and  Wars;  Captain  Carver's 
Travels;  The  Journey  of  David  Thompson. 

Sub- Division  Seventh 119 

The  Fi-st  Known  of  White  Men  at  Ellc  Lake;  The  Name 
Defined;  William  Morrison;  The  Only  Record  of  His  Voy- 
age to  Itasca  Lake  in  1803:  Lost  Note  Books. 


X  THE    MISSISSII'IM    UIVEll    AND    ITS   SOUUCE. 

Pii(?e. 
Srn-DivisioN  Eiuiitu ..   125 

Lieuteiiiint  Z.  M.  Pike's  Ex|)t;dltU»n  in  1TO5-6:  He  Reaches 
the  Mouth  of  Two  Rivers  and  Erects  Block  Houses;  Huf- 
falo,  Elk  and  Deer  Hunt:  Sledge  Journey  to  Leech  Lake; 
The  British  Flaj?;  Indian  Warfare;  Killed  at  York. 

SuH-DivisioN  Ninth 130 

The  Louis  Cass  Expedition;  Throujfh  Lake  Superior;  Camp 
at  Sandy  Lake;  Voyage  Down  the  Mississippi  From  Casa 
Lake. 

Sub-Division  Textii 135 

J.  C.  Beltrami:  Civil,  Military  and  Judicial  Pursuits;  The 
Countess  of  Albany;  An  Exile;  Hero  Worship;  Voyajje  to 
America:  Thirst  for  Geographical  Discovery;  Voyage  Up 
the  Minnesota  and  Down  the  Red  Hiver;  At  Pembina: 
Beltrami  Reaches  Red  and  Turtle  Lakes;  Locates  the 
Source  of  the  Mississippi  at  Julia  Lake;  Doe  Lake;  Suc- 
cored by  Chippewa  Indians;  Researches  of  Mr.  Alfred  J. 
Hill;  Beltrami  County. 
Sub-Division  Eleventh 142 

Henry  Rowe  Schoolcraft:  He  Accompanies  Gen.  Cass  in 
1820;  Proceeds  to  Lac  La  Biche  in  1832;  Selects  the  Name 
Itasca;  Discovers  the  Lake:  Schoolcraft  Island;  Ozawindib. 
Sub-Division  Twelfth 152 

A  MiliLiiry  Escort:  Lieut.  James  Allen  and  Detachment 
Accompanies  Schoolcraft:  His  Observations  and  Report. 
Sub-Division  Thiut^enth 155 

Nicollet's  Scientific  Explorations:  Astronomical  Abilities; 
An  Exile  From  France;  Map  of  the  Sources:  Employed  by 
the  United  States;  Details  of  His  Voyage  to  Itasca  Lake; 
Discovers  Five  Creeks;  Describes  the  Larger  as  the  Infant 
Mississippi;  A  Cradled  Hercules:  Discovers  Three  Lakes; 
Confusion  of  Location;  Ideas  as  to  the  Source  of  a  River. 
SuB-DivisioN  Fourteenth 166 

The  "Dolly  Varden"  Expedition  to  Itasca  Lake;  Julius 
Chambers  Visits  Elk  Lake  and  Declares  it  the  Source  of 
the  Mississippi;  Observations  and  Explorations  by  a  Rep- 
resentative of  the  New  York  Herald. 


CLASSIFICATION   OF   SUBDIVISIONS   AND   CONTKNTS.     XI 

Sub-Division  FiKTKKNTii I'l 

omclal  Action  by  th«'  Authorities  of  the  Land  Dcpart- 
nit'nt  of  the  I'nitcd  States:  How  p:ik  Lai<e  was  Finally 
Named.  Ortlcial  IMats  Certilled  and  Approved. 

SUU-Dl VISION  SiXTKENTH 1"4 

Edwins.  Hall's  (lovernnient  Survey:  His  I'arty  Reach  the 
Itasca  r.asin:  Mi-ander  of  I^li<  and  Itasca  Lal<es:  Ortlcial 
Corners  and  Land  Marks. 

Sub-Division  SEVKNTEEXxn 1"^ 

The  Rob  Roy  Expedition:  A.  PL  Siejjfried  and  Companions 
Reach  Itasca  Lake:  They  Visit  Elk  Lake  and  Photograph  it; 
The  Party  Designate  Elk  Lake  the  Hijjhest  Tributary  to 
the  Mississippi;    Wm.  Morrison  Designated  as  the 
Seen  of  White  Men  at  the  Source. 

Sril-DlVISION   ElOIITKENTII 182 

Geolojjic  and  Botanic  Examination  at  Itasca  Lake  by  (). 
E.  Garrison;  Lost  at  the  Little  Man  Trap;  He  Reaches  Elk 
Lake;  Portage  to  Itasca:  Camp  on  Garrison  Point:  Itasca 
Lake  Coasted. 

SuB-DivisioN  Nineteenth 186 

Early  Visitors  to  Itasca;  Charles  Laniuan's  Claim;  Allan 
Morrison. 

SuB-DivisioN  Twentieth 188 

Sojourn  of  Rev.  J.  A.   GilHllan's  Party  at  Itasca   Lak 
Whipple  Lake  Named:  First  Sermon  at  the  Source;  An  In- 
teresting Epistle. 

Slb-Division  Twent\-Fii!ST 191 

The  Glazier  Fiasco;  An  Indian  Map  Distorted;  Hunger 
and  Haste;  A  Fictitious  Source;  Plagarism Personified;  His 
Claims  Shown  to  be  Founded  on  False  Statements,  Dis- 
credited by  Geographical  Societies  and  the  Congrts  Inter- 
national. 

SuB-DivisiON  Taventy-Second 210 

Pioneer  Settlement  at  Itasca  Lake;  Peter  Turnbull  and 
Family;  The  Second  Coming  of  Civilized  Occupancy. 

SuB-DivisiON  Twenty-Thikd 213 

The  Relation  of  Henry  D.  Harrower,  and  of  Ivison,  Blake- 
man,  Taylor  &  Co.;  Survey  of  the  Basin  by  Hopewell 
Clarke. 


aril  THK   MISSISSIPPI   UIVEU   AND   ITS  bOUHCE. 

SUH-DlVISI((N    TWKNTV-FOUKTII 218 

The  Assistant  SiiiHTintftirlcnt  of    Public  Instruction  for 

Miniics(»ta  at  Itasca:  He  Descr-iht's  th«»  Lake  and  its  AHIu- 
cnts. 

SlJH-DlVISION  TWKNTV-FlKTIl » 224 

Tho  Definite  Action  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society 
as  to  the  Source  ()f  the  Mississij)|)i;  Report  by  (Jen.  Jann!s 
H.  Baker  Adopted:  Appoitituient  of  a  Comniissi«»ner 
Ordered,  to  Delliiitely  Survey  and  Locate  the  Source. 

Sun-Di VISION  Twenty-Sixth 227 

The  Casual  Examination  of  .1.  V.  Hrower  and  Companions; 
The  (Jreater  Man-traj)  Basin:  The  party  arrive  at  Itasca 
lake  and  Explore  the  Source. 

SUluDlVISION    TWKNTV-SlCVENTlI Z12 

The  Itasca  State  Park:  Thirty-five  S(iuare  Miles  of  Terrl 
tory  at  the  Source  of  the  Mississippi  Forever  Dedicated  to 
the  Public;  A  CV»mmlssii»n  appointed,  anrl  a  Topographic 
Survey  Completed:  A  Final  Chart. 

SUllDlVISION  TWKNTV-ElOIITII 235 

The  Detailed  Examinations  and  Survi-ysof  the  Source  of 
the  Mississippi  river,  Conducted  Under  the  Personal  Direc- 
tion and  Supervisi(jn  of  J.  V.  JJrower,  Commissioner. 

The  Coxclusion.s  of  the  Commissioneu 293 

Memokandim  Considkkations 297 


APPENDIX. 

How  the  Mississippi  river  and  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  became 
Instrumental  in  the  Establishment  of  the  Northwestern 
Boundary  of  the  United  States 305 


INDKX    TO    ILL^STI^VTK^XS. 


Portrait  (if  Mif  aiith«»r  Frontlr^plooe 

Orticial  chart  of  the  Itasi-a  Statt'  Park Frorilispicc*' 

Pane. 

Map  of  tht>  Mississippi  river,  by  J.  V.  Urower,  I'^Ol 5 

Extract  from  Cortes' cliart  sent  to  Charles  \',  I'liO 19 

I'ortrait  of  Hernando  de  Sot<» 24 

Diajrrani  showin>jthe  principal  names  and  distances  (lea^'ues)al()np 
the  north  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  drawn  from  the  descrip- 
tion by  Oviedo,  in  1537.  by  Alfred  J.  Hill,  1891 28 

Earliest  type  of  map  showinir  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  from 

atlas  of  Ortelius  of  loHO 33 

Second  type  of  nuip  showinj<  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  from 

Sanso'  "s  map  of  North  America,  16J6 35 

Reduction  from  Orontins  Fines'  >,'lo>»e.  ir)31 .37 

Portrait  of  Sieurde  la  Salle M 

Joliet'sraap  of  the  Mississippi,  1674 67 

Part  of  Carte  de  la  Nouville  France  et  de  la  Lousiane.     Reverend 

Pere  Louis  Hennepin,  16S3 78 

Part  of  Carte  du  Canada,  on  de  la  Nouville  France.  D»;  L'Isle,  1703. .  90 
Part  of  Carte  des  Noiivelles  de'Convertes  a  L'Ouest  de  la  Nouvelle 

France,  Dresse  Siirles  Memoires  de  Mr.  Del'lsle,  1750 93 

Part  of  a  map  of  Canada.     JetTerys,  1762 113 

Map  drawn  from  a  plan  of  Captain  Carver's  travels  in  th(  interior 

parts  of  North  America  in  1766  and  1767 115 

Portrait  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver 116 

Portrait  and  autograph  of  William  Morrison   119 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  Georjfiana  Demaray 121 

Portrait  of  Gen.  Z.  M.  Pikt;  125 

Extract  from  Lieut.  Z.  M.  Pike's  chart  near  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, 1805-6 127 

Portrait  of  Gen.  Lewis  Cass 131 

Section  of  a  map  showing  the  track  pursued  by  the  expedition 

under  Gov.  Cass  in  1820.    By  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft 133 

Portrait  of  lieltrami 135 

Extract  from  Beltrami's  chart,  1828 139 


XIV  THK  MISSIh»Sli>i>l   HIVIgU  AND  IT'S  HOUKCE. 

Piiiro 

P«»rtnill  and  autoKruph  of  llfiiry  H.  .Schuolcruft 142 

Portrait  of  Ilev.  W.  T.  Uoutwfll 144 

Sketch  (»f  thf  sources  of  the  Mlssissl|)pl  River.    Drawn  to  ilhistraU; 

Schoolcraft's  Inland  journey  to  Itasca  Lake,  lH:i2 144 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  .lane  Schoolcraft  .     146 

Sources  of  the  Mississippi  Uiver.    I)rawn  t(»  Illustrate  Schoolcraft's 

discoveries,  by  Cai)taln  S.  Kastman,  U.  S.  A.     Ih.V) 148 

Schoolcraft's  map  of  Itasca  Lake,  the  source  of  the  Mississippi 
Kiver,  .'t,l({0  miles  from  the  liallze,  asmodltled  In  1855  from  map 

of  18:{2 ]'>0 

Portrait  (»f  Jane  Schoolcraft  Howard 151 

Kxtractfroni  Lieut.  J.  Allen's  Map,  18:}2., 153 

Portrait  and  Autojjraph  of  .1.  N.  Nicollet 155 

Extract  from  topographical  map  of  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi 
and  North  Red  River,  from  actual  astronomical  observations 

and  surveys  In  IS.'Wi  and  18:{7,  by  J.  N.  Nicollet Ifil 

Portrait  and  auto>jraph  of  .lulius  Chambers 1H8 

Sketch  map  of  the  Itasca  Lake  region,  by  Julius  Chambers,  1872.  1«8 

Portrait  of  Gen.  J.  H.  Baker 171 

The  official  plat  (reduced  scale),  187B 172 

Portrait  of  Mr.  Edwin  S.  Hall 174 

Portrait  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Siegfried 17P 

Portrait  of  Mr.  O.  E.  Garrison  182 

Portrait  of  Mr.  Charles  Lauman 186 

Portrait  of   Rev.  J.  A.  GilfUlan 188 

An  Indian  map  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  drawn  by  She-na- 

wi-jfl-shlck,  an  Ojibway  Indian,  1890 193 

One  of  the  Glai'.ier  maps,  1881-t) 199 

The  Glazier  map  of  1891 207 

Portrait  of  Peter  Turnbull  and  family 210 

Portrait  of  Mr.  Hopewell  Clarke 213 

Hopewell  Clarke's  map,  1886 215 

Portrait  and  autojfraph  of  Prof.  T.  H.  Kirk 218 

Portrait  and  autograph  of  J.  Fletcher  Williams 224 

Portrait  of  John  Leyendecker 227 

J.  V.  Brower's  sketch  map  of  Itasca  Lake,  1888 229 

Portrait  of  Gen.  John  B.  Sanborn 232 

A  map  of  the  upper  drainage  basin  of  the  Mississippi  River  above 

Pokegama  Falls,  by  J.  Y.  Brower,  1892 235 

Detailed  Hydrographic  Chart  of  the  ultimate  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  by  J.  V.  Brower,  Commissioner,  1891 235 

The  Itasca  Basin  from  the  summit  of  Rhodes  Hill 238 


INDKX   TO   ILLUSTRATIONS.  XV 

l'Htf««. 

Vi»'w  at  th«' ri«trth  «'Xtn'tnlty  (if  Ttii-^fji  Laki' 244 

Vlfw  at  Schoolcraft  Island  frotii  the  west  shore  of  Ituitca  Luku. ..  240 

View  at  the  cast  arm  (»f  Itasca  Lake 2.M 

View  at  Mary  Lake 254 

FroHlcoi'  t'N'vatloris  above  sea  level  from  Park  Rapltls.  Minn.,  t(» 

Itasca  Lake 257 

View  at  Elk  Lake 258 

View  at  east  shore  of  Little  Klk  Lake 360 

View  <»f  Nlc((llet*s   Itilatit  Mississippi  ]{iver  llowioK  into  Itasca 

Lake . .  262 

View  r>f  Chainher's  Creek  flowin>r  into  Itasca  L  ..^e 263 

View  of  the  Coiiimissioner's  Camp  at  Nicollet's  Springs 269 

View  at  Morrison  Hill 270 

View  showinjf  the  Mississippi  Kiver  (lowintf  out  from  Nicollet's 

Middle  Lake 272 

Sketch  map  of  Natural  Hridjje  l)etween  Nicollet's  ITpporand  Mid- 
dle Lakes,  by  J.  V.  Hrower,  18H2 273 

Profile  (»f  elevations  above  sea  level  from  Itasca  Lake  to  Hernan- 
do de  Soto  Lake 274 

Sketch  map  of  the  Mississippi  Springs  and  Whipple  Lake,  by  J. 

V.  brower,  1892 276 

View  at  Morrison  Lake 280 

View  at  Nicollet's  Middle  Lake 284 

Portrait  uf  Mr.  Alfred  J.  Hill 289 

View  at  Bn;wer  Island,  Hernando  de  Soto  Lake 293 


APPENDIX. 

Diagram  Chart  of  limitary  lines,  drawn  by  A.  J.  Hill,  1892 337 

Outline  map  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  reduced  from  Canadian 

surveys 340 

Part  of  the  Mitchell  map.  of  1755. 343 

View  at  FortSnellinn; 352 


SlB-mVISTOX  FIRST. 


PREi;iMINARY  MEMORANDUM  AND  COMMUNI- 
CATIONS. 


On  the  12th  day  of  February,  1889,  the  Minnesota  Histori- 
cal Society  determined  to  cause  a  survey  of  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  for  that  purpose  issued  the  following 
Commission  under  the  seal  of  the  Society  : 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  Feb.  12th,  1889. 
To  J.    V.  Broioer,  Esq.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Sir: — Reposing  especial  confidence  in  your  ability,  integ- 
rity and  good  judgment,  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society 
together  with  other  similar  Societies,  who  may  unite  with 
us  for  this  object,  does  hereby  appoint  and  commission  you 
to  make  a  careful  and  scientific  survey  of  Lake  Itasca  and  its 
surroundings,  with  the  view  of  determining  by  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  spot  and  of  all  its  physical  features,  un 
der  all  circumstances,  what  is  the  true  and  actual  source  of 
the  Mississippi  River. 

We  therefore  request  you  to  select  such  a  corps  of  assis- 
tants as  you  may  need  to  properly  carry  on  such  survey  and 
proceed  to  Lake  Itasca,  prior  to  the  opening  of  spring,  co 
take  the  necessary  observations  with  the  above  object. 

On  the  completion  of  your  survey,  you  will  please  make  a 
report  to  us  of  the  result  of  your  investigations. 

On  behalf  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society. 

Henry  H.  Sibley,  President. 
[seal]  J.  Fletcher  Williams,    Secretary 


2  THE   MISSISSIPPI  RIVER  AND   ITS  SOURCE. 

Agreeing  to  the  requirements  as  stated  in  the  Commission 
of  the  Society,  a  formal  letter  of  acceptance  was  submitted, 
as  given  herewith,  to-wit : 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  Feb.  27th,  1889. 

Hon.  Henry  H.  Sibley,  President,  J.  Fletcher  Williams,  Es(j., 
Secretary,  Minnesota  Histmncal  Society. 

Gentlemen: — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  Commission  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society, 
under  seal,  dated  the  12th  inst.,  directing  me  to  make,  on 
behalf  of  the  Society,  a  careful  and  scientific  survey  of  Lake 
Itasca  and  its  surroundings,  with  the  view  of  determining  by 
a  thorough  examination  of  the  spot  and  all  its  physical  fea- 
tures, under  all  circumstances,  what  is  the  true  and  actual 
source  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

I  believe  questions  of  importance  touching  geographical 
and  historical  researches,  should  be  considered  and  deter- 
mined regardless  of  individuals,  and  I  shall  most  carefully 
endeavor  to  scientifically  demonstrate  the  actual  facts  as  I 
shall  find  them  in  the  Itasca  Basin,  calling  to  my  aid  a  corps 
of  assistants,  undergoing  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
visiting  the  remote  locality  in  search  of  the  facts. 

Very  respectfully,  Your  Obedient  Servant, 

J.  V.  Brower. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1889,  the  Commissioner  reported 
progress  to  the  Society,  in  a  formal  communication  as  fol- 
lows : 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  Aug.  28th,  1889. 

Gen.  H.  II.  Sibley,  President,  J.  F.  Williams,  Esq.,  Secretary, 
Minnesota  Historical  Society. 

Gentlemen  : — Referring  to  my  Commission  of  date  Feb. 
12th,  1889,  directing  an  examination  and  survey  of  the 
Itasca  Basin  for  and  on  behalf  of  your  Society,  I  beg,  most 
respectfully,  to  advise  you  of  the  progress  and  condition  of 
the  work  at  this  time. 

The  necessary  labor  to  properly  and  accurately  determine 
the  question  and  fulfil  the  requirements  directed  in  the  com- 
mission, constitutes  a  laborious  task  which  may  be  briefly 
stated  as  follows : 

First.  To  ascertain,  by  astronomical  observations,  the 
geographical  position  of  the  basin. 


PKELIMINAHY   MEMORANDUM   AND   COMMUNICATIONS.       'i 

Second.  To  ascertain,  by  a  system  of  actual  levels  in  the 
field,  the  extent  and  outward  limits  of  the  water-shed,  con- 
stituting the  basin  at  the  source. 

Ti>ird.  The  establishment  of  a  i)ase  of  operations  from 
which  all  measarements  must  be  made  and  computed. 

Foiirth.  The  meander  of  several  lakes  by  latitude  and  de- 
parture. 

Fifth.    The  meander  of  running  streams  within  the  basin. 

Sixth.  The  official  meander  of  Schoolcraft  Island,  directed 
and  authorized  by  the  Hon.  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  under 
date  of  Aug.  2nd,  1889,  acting  upon  my  application  to  the 
Department  of  the  Interior  dated  March  19th,  1889.  It  has 
taken  nearly  five  months  time  to  secure  this  authority  from 
the  Department  at  Washington. 

Seventh.  An  accurate  measurement  of  the  unmeandered 
portion  of  the  Mississippi  from  Itasca  Lake,  northerly,  to 
the  meandered  line  of  the  government  survey  in  order  to 
correctly  determine  the  distance  from  the  sea,  in  miles,  by 
the  channel  of  the  river  to  Itasca  Lake. 

Eighth.  A  line  of  actual  levels  in  the  field  across  the 
country  from  the  railroad  surveys  of  the  State  to  Itasca 
Lake  and  up  the  trough  of  the  basin  which  determines  the 
elevations  above  the  sea  more  accurately  than  with  the  ane- 
roid barometer,  which  has  been  found  to  be  very  unreliable. 

Ninth.  The  measurement  of  every  running  stream  within 
the  basin. 

Tenth.  Topographical  examinations  in  the  field  through- 
out the  whole  extent  of  the  basin.  A  necessity  of  no  small 
proportion. 

Eleventh.     Photographic  views. 

Twelfth.     A  scenic  map  of  the  basin  in  perspective.    ^ 

Thirteenth.  A  detailed  hydrographic  chart  of  the  entire 
locality  from  the  field  notes. 

Fourteenth.  Detailed  charts  indicating  particular  localities 
and  conditions. 

Fifteenth.  The  miscellaneous  labor  necessarily  attending 
a  survey  of  the  character  you  require,  the  field  of  operations 
being  one  hundred  miles  beyond  the  railroad  system  of  the 
State,  and  more  than  thirty  miles  from  the  permanent 
frontier  settlements. 

Sixteenth.  The  office  work  placing  this  mass  of  informa- 
tion in  proper  order  for  the  use  of  your  Society. 

1.  Omitted  for  the  reason  Ihat  uiiiivoidahle  errors  appear  in  the  final  draft 
which  cannot  now  be  adequately  corrected. 


♦  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER  AND   ITS  SOURCE 

Seventeenth.  Historical  researches  concerning  the  discov- 
ery of  the  Mississippi  and  its  source,  co- extensive  with  the 
record  of  the  discovery  of  the  coast  line  of  North  America. 

I  commenced  operations,  under  your  commission,  the  4  th 
day  of  last  March  and  I  will  make  my  detailed  report  to  the 
Society  in  the  month  of  December,  1889,  everything  com- 
plete to  the  best  of  my  ability,  trusting  that  it  may  prove 
satisfactory.  The  field  work  is  well  along  towards  comple- 
tion, the  necessary  ofi&ce  work,  of  course,  comes  at  the  clos- 
ing of  operations  in  the  field,  to  a  considerable  extent.  The 
relatives  of  the  late  Wm.  Morrison  are  furnishing  me  with  a 
detailed  memorandum  of  his  residerce  near  Lac  La  Blche,  in 
1803,  and  the  only  living  relative  of  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft 
has  promised  me,  by  the  first  of  September,  a  valuable  contri- 
bution touching  the  discoveries  of  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  in  1832, 
at  the  source — which  may  constitute  an  interesting  appendix. 

Assuring  you  that  this  work  shall  be  completely  and  accu- 
rately reported,  and  awaiting  your  gicknowledgement  of  the 
receipt  of  this  communication,  I  remain 

Very  respectfully,  Your  Obedie   c  Servant, 

J.  V.  Brower. 

At  the  regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  Society  for  Decem- 
ber, 1889,  the  historical  researches  necessary  to  an  adequate 
completion  of  the  formal  report,  were  unfinished,  and  the 
submission  of  the  same  was,  for  that  reason,  deferred. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1890,  at  the  rooms  of  the  Execu- 
tive Council  of  the  Society,  the  Commissioner  reported  all 
the  steps  taken  by  him,  by  virtue  of  his  appointment,  and 
submitted  his  formal  report  which  treated  of  the  subject  in 
every  point  of  view. 

In  the  following  chapters,  this  report  is  given  entire,  with 
material  additions,  ^  deemed  paramount  in  preparing  the 
report  for  publication,  for  which  purpose  the  same  was  re- 
ferred back  to  the  Commissioner  by  the  Council  of  the  His- 
torical Society. 

1.  The  report  has  been  edited  for  publication  by  the  Commissicner  and  includes 
detailed  information  taken  from  all  field  notes  reduced,  up  to  and  including  topo- 
graphic examinations  and  surveys,  which  were  completed  in  1S92.  for  and  on  behalf 
of  the  State,  of  which  the  Historical  Society  Is  a  co-ordinate  branch. 


:'*'^/^. 


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SFB-T)TVTSIOX  SE(  OND. 


THE  l^EPORT. 


<» 


PRELIMINARY  CONSIDERATIONS,  GEOLOGIC  FEA 

TURES,  RESERVOIR  SYSTEM,  MODE  OP 

PROCEDURE. 


To  the  Society: 

With  the  view  of  determining  what  is  the  true  and  actual 
source  of  the  Mississippi  river,  historical  researches,  detailed 
surveys  and  examinations  have  been  made  with  results  as 
noted  in  this  report. 

Sub-divided  and  classified,  these  results  are  respectfully- 
submitted. 

The  suggestion,  long  since  made,  that  "all  our  rivers  have 
their  source  in  the  clouds,"  might  well  be  discussed  in  con- 
nection with  that  invisible,  demonstrative  cause,  which 
creates  the  movement  of  the  waters  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
by  evaporation  and  precipitation,  without  which,  human  life, 
as  now  constituted,  would  perish.  The  precipiLationof  nearly 
twenty- four  inches  of  water  per  annum  upon  most  portions 
of  the  earth's  surface,  when  considered  in  its  enormous 
capacity  and  influence,  well  suggests  a  thought  of  that  dis- 
tinctive, distributive  power,  which  causes  the  precipitation. 


e  THK    MISSISSIPPI    lilVER   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

The  invincible  rule  of  nature  which  outpours  unlimited 
quantities  of  water  upon  a  surface  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
re(iuires  channels  of  exit  that  it  may  seek  its  level.  Those 
channels  are  of  greater  age  than  humanity  itself.  That  life  is 
dependent  upon  these  causes,  and  the  effect,  creates  the  desire 
to  discover  and  know  specific  particulars.  Within  the 
limited  sphere  of  a  temperate  zone,  encircling  the  earth  by 
an  isothermal  demarcation,  the  capacity  for  minute  observa- 
tion is  intensified.  With  this  intensity,  there  is  slight  cause 
for  complaint  if  predominant  influences  tend  toward  the  ac- 
quirement of  greater  knowledge,  particularly  so,  upon  dis- 
puted points.  He  who  comes  last,  not  always  least,  might 
well  consider  opportunities  for  conservative,  unimpassioned 
consideration  and  research.  It  should  be  his  duty  to  inquire 
by  what  authority,  under  whose  auspices,  and  for  what  pur- 
pose, have  mankind  acted  in  discoveries,  and  the  true  re- 
sults noted  will  be  the  history  of  the  case.  In  an  examina- 
tion for  the  correction  of  apparent  error  of  judgment,  or  of 
ulterior  purposes,  state  the  whole  question,  that  he  may 
himself  be  weighed  in  the  balance  in  ascertaining  the  cor 
rectness  of  conclusions  on  the  part  of  others. 

Such  are,  briefly  stated,  an  indication  of  thoughts  enter- 
tained when  the  question  is  suggested:  What  is  the  true  and 
actual  source  of  the  Mississippi  river  ? 

The  great  drainage  basin  of  the  Mississippi  river  extend- 
ing from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  northern  limits  of  the 
United  States,  and  from  the  Alleghany  range  to  the  summit 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,  covers  an  area  of  more  than  one 
million  square  miles.  The  river  itself  is  known  by  two  prin- 
cipal designations — the  Upper  and  Lower  Mississippi — the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri  river  constituting  the  dividing  point. 


PUKLlMIN'AliV   CONSIDKUATIONS.  7 

By  acceptation,  if  not  otherwise,  the  Missouri  river»  is 
considered  an  affluent  of  the  Mississippi,  thus  obviating  a 
consideration  of  the  (jucstion  of  the  length  of  the  Missouri, 
in  arriving  at  a  conclusion  as  to  the  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
at  this  time. 

Then  comes  the  question  as  to  what  is  the  source  of  a  river. 

Authorities  have  conflicted  upon  this  point,  and  in  pro- 
ceeding to  a  definite  conclusion  upon  the  question  considered, 
the  ultimate  limit  of  the  dminage  basin  consfitutiiuj  the  water- 
sJied  of  the  Mississippi  river,  farthest  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  hij 
the  main  channel  of  the  river,  shall  be  considered  to  be  the  true 
soiirce.  In  reaching  the  utmost  limit  of  that  channel,  partic- 
ular and  definite  action  should  be  taken  to  determine  the  sup- 
ply of  water  within  the  bowl,  from  which  it  has  its  first  incep- 
tion. That  supply  must  be  the  ultimate  source,  though,  in 
the  case  of  the  Mississippi  river,  the  flanks  of  the  ultimate 
water-shed  have,  by  nature,  been  formed  into  a  se-i^i-circular 
basin  of  irregular  formation,  having  for  its  principal  reser- 
voirs, two  large  bodies  of  water,  one  at  the  pit  of  the  basin, 
from  which  the  main  stream  flows,  the  other  at  the  summit,  at 
a  much  higher  elevation,  from  which  is  di-^  A'n  a  constant  sup- 
ply, by  subsidiary  channels,  to  the  reservoir  below,  by  in- 
filtration, percolation,  seepage  and  perennial  surface  flowage, 
all  of  which  is  supplied  by  secular  aerial  precii)itation. 

Thus  is  formed  a  principal  reservoir  at  the  pit  of  the  basin 
through  which  all  the  flowing  water  passes  to  the  main 
stream,  and  an  ultimate  reservoir  at  the  summit  of  the  basin, 
supplying  the  streams  and  lakes  below  it,  still  above  the  pit 
of  the  basin.     Between   these  two  principal  remote  reser- 


1.    The  question  as  to  the  predominance  of  the  Missouri  river  over  the  Upper 
Mississippi  is  more  particularly  adverted  to  in  other  portions  of  this  report. 


8  THK    MISSISSIlM'l    UIVKK    AND    ITS   SOUKCE. 

voirs,  the  adjustment  of  thoc[Uostion  requiitul  to  bo  answered, 
rests.  Thus  an  easy  question  to  ask,  is  a  difficult  one  to 
answer. 

Researches  as  to  the  original  formation  of  this  ultimate 
reservoir  system  and  its  discovery,  difficult  and  long  delayed, 
have  been  taken  up  with  more  than  ordinary  care  and  pa- 
tience, and  the  results,  accompanied  by  a  critical  examina- 
tion of  the  physical  features  of  the  locality,  are  submitted  in 
the  hope  that  they  may  prove  beneficial,  though  not  without 
the  expectation  of  just  criticism. 

TliM  length  of  the  Mississippi  has  been  carefully  ascer- 
tained, and  the  Itasca  basin  is  the  most  remote  water-shed 
upon  the  main  stream,  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  existence  and  con('it^ons  of  the  Missouri 
river,  being  more  particularly  h0r9ini.it*  sr  considered,  upon 
an  editing  of  this  report  for  publication. 

CJEOLOGIC     FEATURES. 

Prof.  N.  H.  Winchell,  of  the  Minnesota  State  University, 
and  Prof.  Warren  Upham,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  (Mr.  Upham 
visited  the  Itasca  basin  in  September,  1889)  have  been  con- 
sulted as  to  the  geologic  features  of  the  source  of  the  Missis. 
sippi.  and  from  these  gentlemen  a  general  idea  of  geologic 
formations  has  been  obtained,  and  to  them  full  credit  is  due 
and  awarded  in  furnishing  a  basis  for  opinions  herein 
expressed,  concerning  the  same. 

All  the  country  about  Itasca  lake,  consists  of  the  glacial 
and  modified  drift,  the  nearest  outcrops  of  the  bed  rocks  be- 
ing eastward  on  the  Little  Boy  river  and  southward,  near 
Motley,  on  the  Crow  Wing  river.  The  thickness  of  the 
prift  at  Itasca,  may  be  estimated  between  one  hundred  and 
two  hundred  feet,  from  comparison  with  the  similarly  cov- 


PUKLIMINAKY   CONSIDERATIONS.  9 

erod  drift  areas  of  tlu^  Rod  River  Valley,  '  and  all  western 
and  southwestern  Minnesota,  including  the  Cofcait  (hs  PrairicH, 
where  the  depth  to  the  bed  rocks  is  ascertained  by  wells. 
Over  the  prej^lacial  surface  as  it  has  been  sculptured  into 
hills,  ridges  and  valleys,  by  stream  erosion  before  the  ice 
ago,  the  drift  is  found  to  be  spread  with  a  somewhat  uniform 
thickness,  but  it  is  generally  increased  fifty  to  seventy-five 
or  one  hundred  feet  in  its  depth  upon  belts  of  specially  hilly 
and  knolly  deposits,  with  abundant  boulders,  properly  des 
ignated  as  terminal  moraines. 

One  of  the  most  distinct  morainic  belts,  denominated  the 
Itasca  moraine,  extends  with  a  width  of  five  to  ten  miles 
from  the  Pokegama  falls  on  the  Mississippi  river  a  little  less 
than  one  hundred  miles  east  from  Itasca  lake,  south  of  Poke- 
gama and  Leech  lakes,  westward  to  the  Little  Man  Trap  and 
Josephine  lakes  and  the  southern  arms  of  Itasca  lake,  curv- 
ing around  Hernando  de  Soto,  and  Morrison  lakes  at  their 
outward  limit,  thence  it  bends  to  the  northwest  and  north 
between  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  source  of  the 
Red  River  of  the  North,  and  continues  northward  between 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Rice  lakes  to  Clearwater  lake,  from 
which  it  passes  westward  along  the  south  side  of  Clearwater 
and  Lost  rivers,  entering  the  area  of  the  glacial  lake  Agas- 
siz,  between  Maple  lake  and  Red  lake.  This  is  the  tenth  in 
the  series  of  moraines  in  Iowa,  Minnesota,  South  and  North 
Dakota,  formed  by  the  last  ice  sheet  that  overspread  this 
region,  marking  its  boundary  in  its  maximum  area,  when  it 
reached  south  to  Des  Moines,  and  in  successive  stages  of 
halt  or  slight  re-advance,  interrupting  its  recession. 


1.    The  Red  Klver  of  the  North. 


10  THE   MISSISSII'I'I    UIVEU    ANU    ITS   SOURCE. 

The  Itusca  moraino  in  an  irr»'j;ulai'.  luuivon,  })articularly 
rouj^h  uiul  Vjrokon  raiij?o  of  hills,  portions  of  which  are  cov- 
cied  to  a  ^n>ator  oi"  loss  oxtont,  at  the  summit,  with  larj^e 
and  small  i)oiild«'rs.  which  oxt(>nd  down  the  slopes  in  loss 
fjuantities  near  the  surface.  Numerous  lakes  abound,  usually 
with  muddy  bottoms,  the  surface  elevation  depending  upon 
precipitation,  variously  influenced  by  evaporation,  infiltra- 
tion and  percolation  to  bodies  of  water  and  streams  lower 
down  the  sides  of  this  morainic  formation.  Stony  ridge, 
near  the  Little  Man  Trap  lake,  some  six  miles  south  of  Itasca 
lake,  no  doubt,  is  the  southern  border  of  the  Itasca  moraine. 
It  consists  of  small  ridges  of  till,  trending  from  southeast  to 
northwest,  with  very  plentiful  boulders,  Archfcan  in  char 
acter,  from  the  northeast  and  north,  chietly  granite  and 
gneiss.  No  limestone  boulders  were  observed,  but  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  "White  Earth  agency  and  about  Red  lake  they 
form  a  considerable  portion  of  the  drift,  having  been  brought 
by  glacial  currents  from  the  region  of  Lakes  Winnipeg  and 
Manitoba.  Along  the  wagon  road  reaching  from  Stony  ridge 
to  Mr.  Peter  Turnbull's  cabin  on  the  east  shore  of  the  east 
arm  of  Itasca  lake,  irregularly  grouped  morainic  hills  rise 
on  each  side,  especially  so  along  the  outlines  of  Mary  valley, 
where  they  often  reach  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  surface  of  Itasca  lake,  the  road  winding,  climbing  and 
descending  over  them.  Many  empty  hollows,  very  properly 
called  kettle  holes,  well  known  as  characteristics  of  morainic 
deposits,  are  seen.  Several  similar  hollows,  but  of  larger 
area  and  greater  depth,  contain  a  series  of  picturesque  lakes 
throughout  the  entire  extent  of  the  Itasca  basin,  the  surface 
elevation  of  which  ranges  from  one  to  more  than  one  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  surface  of  Itasca  lake,  in  descending 


I'UKLIMINAUY   CONHIDKUATIONS.  11 

ordor.  from  south  to  north.  Theso  hik«»s  fill  doprossions  of 
tho  drift.  Itasfu  hike,  doubtless,  owes 'ts  existence  to  ^'n»at«r 
Ihickness  of  the  drift  in  the  valley  at  the  mouth  of  the  lake 
and  for  several  miles  down  the  Mississippi,  rather  than  to 
greater  prominenct*  of  the  underlying  ro(!k  there.  But  the 
great  valley,  one  himdred  to  two  hundred  feet  deep  and  two 
to  four  miU's  wide,  in  which  lie  Itasca  lake  and  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  northward  to  Craig's  Crossing. '  and  to  its  rapids" 
over  boulders  in  Sec.  H,  T.  U4,  K.  3(5;  also  the  similar,  but 
smaller,  valleys  of  otlun-  streams,  successively  tributary  to 
tho  Mississippi,  from  tho  south,  b««tween  Itasca  lake  and 
Bemidji. '  existed  as  distinct  topographic  features  of  the 
country  before  the  glacial  p<>riod  and  were  then  occupied  by 
streams  flowing  in  the  same  northward  direction  as  now. 
It  is  improbable,  however,  that  Minnesota  or  any  part  of 
the  Northern  states  then  had  any  considerable  number  of 
lakes,  their  I'ondition  in  this  respect  having  been  like  that 
now  found  in  the  Southern  states  beyond  the  limit  of  the 
glacial  drift.  Let  what  may  be  the  foundations  for  the  for- 
mation of  Itasca  lake^  and  its  placid,  uninterrupted  continu- 
ance with  the  grandest  river  of  this  continent,  as  its  only 
outlet,  there  would  be  no  Mississippi  river  at  the  Itasca 
basin,  perennial  in  character,  without  the  characteristic  sys- 
tem of  elevated  reservoirs  which  nature  has  constructed 
there,  supplied  only  by  precipitation,  and  the  reserved  suj)- 

1.  Nine  miles  north  of  Itasca  liike. 

2.  Ka-Ka-hl-Kons  rapids. 

3.  The  Ojlbway  pronunciation  Is  Bem-e-jig-e-mug. 

4.  The  physical  condition  of  the  region  of  the  source  was  formerly  barren,  and 
the  causes  which  formed  the  Uoclty  mountains  and  the  Alleghany  range  consti- 
tuted the  Mississippi  basin  and  features  at  the  source.  Volcanic  action  not  at 
present  visible  there,  whatever  may  be  the  Indications  and  probable  results,  will 
not  be  discussed.  At  the  date  of  the  formation  of  the  Itasca  basin,  remote,  un- 
known and  uncertain.  It  is  doubtful  If  animal  life  could  then  have  existed  there. 
unless  in  a  perturbed  and  perilous  condition. 


^  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

ply  of  water  as  gradually  used  as  any  mechanical  contrivance 
would  make  it  possible. 

The  progressive  discovery  of  the  river  and  the  reservoir 
system  at  its  source  have  been  the  subject  of  protracted  study 
and  research,  the  results  of  which  in  the  light  of  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  valley  of  the  river  by  the  governments  of  Spain, 
France,  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  successively, 
are  here  given,  with  due  regard  to  the  question  of  aborigi- 
nal occupancy. 

THE  MODE  OF  PROCEDURE  ADOPTED  FOR  THE  RESEARCHES, 
SURVEYS  AND  EXAMINATIONS. 

The  remoteness  of  the  locality  to  be  examined,  the  intri- 
cate, dismembered  and  scattering  lines  of  discovery  from 
the  time  the  river  was  tirst  seen  of  white  men,  and  the  grad- 
ual acquirement  of  a  knowledge  of  the  river  from  its  mouth 
to  the  official  survey  of  its  source  in  1875,  made  it  desirable 
to  trace  the  history  of  discovery  and  briefly  to  note  down 
the  facts  as  they  have  been  found  to  exist,  with  a  reproduc 
tion  of  J  Jl  maps  bf  interest  or  importance,  to  which  is  added 
occurrences  happening  at  the  source  from  1875  to  1892.  It 
was  projected  that  a  list  of  the  maps,  records,  histories, 
journals,  surveys,  charts,  letters,  etc.,  which  have  been  ex- 
amined, would  be  made  a  part  of  this  report.  Inasmuch  as 
the  documents  and  records  mentioned,  Spanish,  French,  Ital- 
ian, English,  and  Indian,  are  almost  innumerable,  the  list 
would  be  but  a  burden  to  the  record.  A.11  obtainable  items, 
known  to  exist,  touching  the  discovery  of  the  river  and  its 
source  have  been  considered.     In  the  field,  ^  the  work  has 


1.  The  survey  and  examination  conducted  for  the  preparation  of  this  work, 
were,  first,  in  1838  In  the  capacity  of  a  private  citizen,  second,  as  a  Commissioner 
of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society,  and  third,  as  Commissioner  of  the  Itasca 
State  Parlf,  cheerfully  responding  to  the  terms  of  authority  indicated  in  a  letter 
irom  the  American  Geographical  Society,  which  covers  a  period  from  1888  to  1892. 


PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS.  IS 

been  prosecuted  in  the  manner  indicated  in  this  report. 
Photographic  views  taken  from  nature,  are  used  to  illus- 
trate a  few  of  the  most  interesting  localities  examined. 


SUB-DIYTSTON  THIRD. 


WHAT    CONSTITUTES   DISCOVERY:    THE    SPANISH 
ACCOUNTS;  PINEDA;    ESPIRITU  SANTO   BAY; 
NARVAEZ;    CABEZA  DE  VAC  A;    DE  SOTO; 
APPORTIONMENT  OF  CREDIT;  CARTO- 
GRAPHICAL RESULTS  OF  DE  SOTO'S 
EXPEDITION;  CONCLUSIONS 
DRAWN;   DE  LUNA. 


Before  relating  the  manner  in  which  the  Mississippi  river 
became  known  to  civilized  men  of  European  birth,  a  few 
lines  are  necessary  as  to  the  definition  of  the  word  discovery, 
when  used  in  connection  with  the  subject.  Of  course  no 
stream  can  be  seen  at  more  than  one  point  in  the  same  time 
by  the  same  man,  nor  has  it  ever  been  the  case  that  a  river, 
when  first  visited,  has  been  explored  from  its  source  to  its 
mouth  — or  vice  versa.  A  less  extensive  acquaintance  with 
the  course  of  a  stream,  however,  through  one  or  more  visits, 
is  sufficient  to  entitle  a  man  to  the  credit  of  its  discovery. 

Some  men  have  in  their  wandorings  in  wild  regions  unex- 
pectedly come  upon  a  large  river  or  other  important  feature 
of  the  earth's  surface,  and  have  incidentally  mentioned  the 
discovery  without  taking  especial  interest  in  it;  whilst  others 
have  deliberately  planned  journeys  to  ascertain  the  truth 
about  places  whose  existence  had  been  rumored  among  the 


THE  SPANISH   ACCOUNTS.  15 

natives,  or  places  before  visited  but  only  partially  explored. 
The  amount  of  merit  to  be  accredited  to  each  of  these  two 
classes  may  be  left  to  the  casuist;  for  practical  ^geographers 
should  rather  interest  themselves  in  the  acquisition  of  scien- 
tific truth. 

Should,  however,  a  navigator  while  on  a  coasting  voyage 
in  strange  seas,  find  among  the  various  streams  which  he 
passes  the  entry  of  a  river  which  afterwards  proves  to  be 
the  most  important  of  the  region  drained  by  them,  and  yet 
merely  note  it  along  with  the  others  on  his  chart,  without 
topographical  sign,  written  description,  or  appropriate  name 
by  which  to  indicate  its  magnitude  and  draw  special  atten- 
tion to  it,  is  he  worthy  of  being  called  its  discove  •■  in  so 
doing?  An  affirmative  answer  to  the  question  would  unset- 
tle the  general  belief  of  the  world  on  this  subject. 

THE  SPANISH  ACCOUNTS. 

Unless  we  believe  that  Hibernian  missionaries  as  early  as 
the  middle  of  the  sixth  century,  or  Welsh  emigrants  (Madoc) 
about  1170,  discovered  North  America,  and  that,  too  by  way 
of  the  Mexican  Gulf,  we  may  dismiss  from  our  minds  any 
other  idea  than  that  Spaniards  were  the  first  men  of  the  old 
world  whose  eyes  gazed  upon  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi 
river.  What  Spanish  man  or  party  of  men,  is  entitled  to  the 
credit  may  be  considered  as  uncertain.  A  desire  for  geo- 
graphical discovery  for  its  own  sake  was  a  passion  rarely 
present  in  the  Spanish  breast.  When  the  river  was  first 
seen  it  was  doubtless  at  its  embouchure,  in  the  manner  al- 
ready described,  and  the  appearance  of  the  mud  islands  and 
flats  of  the  delta  may  not  have  been  such  as  to  tempt  the 
navigator  to  diverge  from  his  general  course  in  order  to 
explore  its  passes. 


16  THE   MISSISSIPPI    UIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

The  very  earliest  laap  that  can  be  cited  as  possibly  show- 
ing the  entrance  of  the  Mississippi  River  is  a  printed  one, 
known  as  the  "Admirals  Map,"  /.  e.,  of  Columbus,  which  has 
been  a  subject  of  much  speculation.  Though  it  is  well  under- 
stood to  have  been  engraved  as  early  as  1507,  it  was  not  ac- 
tually published  till  1513,  who»'  it  illustrated  an  edition  of 
Ptolemy.  On  this  map  can  be  seen,  to  the  westward  of  Cuba 
and  the  peninsula  of  Florida,  a  large  bay  containing  many  is- 
lands, with  streams,  etc.,  along  the  shore,  duly  named.  Away 
beyond  the  last  of  these  names,  at  the  southwest  side  of  the 
bay,  appears  a  conspicuous  delta,  through  which,  by  three 
mouths,  a  large  river  empties  itself  into  the  sea.  Thence  the 
coast  stretches  southward  without  salient  topography  or 
name,  till  it  turns  and  becomes  the  coast  of  South  America, 
on  which,  after  a  space,  another  set  of  local  names  com- 
mences. Some  writers  have  taken  this  northern  topography 
for  a  representation  of  Columbus'  Ganges,  but  others  for  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Mississippi.  If  there  be  any  local 
meaning  to  this  delta  at  all,  it  is,  it  seems  to  me,  just  as  likely 
to  be  intended  to  indicate  either  the  Rio  Bravo  del  Norte,  or 
the  Panuco  river,  put  down  from  hearsay.  In  this  case  the 
River  of  Palms,  seen  at  the  center  of  the  north  side  of  the 
bay,  may  be  supposed  to  be  the  Mississippi  i 

1  Count  F.  A.  de  Vanihagen.  one  time  embassador  of  Brazil  to  Portugal,  made 
a  special  study  of  tl>e  life  and  voyages  of  Americas  Vespucius,  the  results  of  whieli 
were  given  to  the  world  l)et  ween  the  years  18(;4  and  1ST4.  His  view  is  that  the  so- 
called  first  voyajie  of  tliis  navijiator,  upon  wiiich  so  niueli  doul)t  lias  been  thrown, 
uc'tually  took  place  in  1497-8,  but  that  It  was  made  to  N'ortli  America  and  not  to  any 
piirt  of  tlie  soutlii'rn  continent.  lie  thinks  tliat  tlie  vessels  of  Vespucius,  first 
strikinir  Honduras,  followed  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  northward  as  far  as  some  un- 
determined port  (•■tlie  finest  in  tlie  world"),  whence  they  sailed  to  the  Bermuda 
Islands,  and  thence  liome.  Tliis  "Admiral's  map,"  he  thinks,  was  compiled  from 
much  earlier  ones,  whicli  had  derived  their  Information  from  the  reports  of  the 
voyase.  The  River  of  Palms,  shown  on  the  map  on  the  northern  side  of  the  bay, 
he  considers  to  have  been  intended  to  represent  the  Mississippi. 

Varnhagen's  ideas  concerning  the  date  and  scope  of  thisfir>i  voyage  of  Vespucius 
have  not  met  witli  much  favor  until  quite  recently.    John  Fiske,  in  hisDUicovery  of 


THP:   SPANISH   ACCOUNTS.  17 

In  a  royal  dispatch,  dated  Burgos,  1521,  there  is  a  short 
account  of  Francisco  de  Garay.  governor  of  Jamaica,  telling 
how  when  he  knew^  of  the  discovery  of  Yucatan,  with  its 
riches  and  beauty,  he  determined  to  send  out  at  his  own  ex- 
pense "  four  ships  with  good  pilots,  under  the  command  of 
Alonzo  Alvarez  de  Pineda,  in  the  year  1519,  with  the  object 
of  searching  for  some  gulf  or  strait  in  the  main  land  towards 
Floridaii  in  which  expedition  they  went  eight  or  nine 
months,  but  they  never  found  it,  seeing  only,  among  other 
low  and  barren  lands,  the  country  that  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon 
had  already  discovered.  They  desired  to  coast  along  it  to- 
ward the  east,  but  the  continuous  shoals  and  reefs,  the  con- 
trary winds  and  the  violence  of  the  currents  forced  them  to 
turn  around  and  to  follow  the  direction  of  the  coast  to  the 
west,  examining  attentively  all  the  country,  ports,  rivers, 
inhabitants  and  the  rest  of  the  notable  things  until  they  met 
with  Hernan  Cortes,  who  already  occupied  Vera  Cruz  on  the 
same  coast.  Arrived  there,  they  marked  the  termination  or 
limits  of  their  discovery,  which  extended  more  than  three 
hundred  leagues,  of  which  land  they  took  possession  for  the 
crown  of  Castile.  Having  taken  this  action  they  turned 
back  and  penetrated  a  river  carrying  much  water,  at  whose 
entrance  there  was  a  large  village,  where  they  were  more 
than  forty  days,  careening  their  ships  and  trading  with  the 
natives  on  terms  of  much  friendship  and  confidence.  They 
ascended  the  river  six  leagues  and  saw  forty  villages  on  one 

America.  1892,  has  now  come  l)()l(lly  forward  in  defense  of  them.  However,  he  dif- 
fers from  Varnliaseii  in  tliinliin;!  tliat  it  was  tlio  nameless  delta  referred  t«  in  the 
text  wliieh  was  intended  to  represent  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  not  tlie 
River  of  Palms. 

1  Where  the  word  Florida  occurs  in  this  article  without  any  qualification  it  must 
be  understood  as  meaning  that  country  stretching  all  the  way  from  New  Spain  on 
the  southwest  to  the  possessions  of  the  Portuguese  (whatever  they  may  have  been) 
on  the  northeast. 
-2 


18  TMK   MISSISSIIM'r    KIVKK    AM)    ITS   SOUltCK. 

banker  the  other.  l\  was  called  the  province  of  Amichel;' 
a  f^ood  land,  peaceful,  lu-althy.  provided  with  abundance  of 
food  and  fruits  ;  its  inhabitants  wonj  many  jc^welsof  f^old  in 
ihoAr  noses  and  ears ;  th(!y  were  a  kind  people  and  disposed 
to  receive  religious  and  political  instruction.  Their  stature 
varied  in  different  provinces.  In  some  they  say  that  they 
saw  ji?i<^antic  people,  in  others  of  ordinary  stature,  and  that 
in  some  were  almost  pi<^mies." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  th(i  river  is  not  named  in  this  brief 
narration,  though  on  the  outline  chart  which  Garay  sent  to 
Spain  in  1520  tlie  entrance  of  an  apparently  large  bay  is 
seen,  at  about  the  center  of  the  northern  shore  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  with  the  name  of  Kiod(.'l  Espiritu  Santo,  or  River 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  attached  to  it.  This  river,  there  shown, 
has  been  thought  by  many  writers  to  have  been  intended  for 
the  present  Mississippi.  Such  a  view,  however,  cannot  be 
generally  accepted  when  it  is  considered  that  Pineda  and  his 
people  "examined  attentively"  all  the  various  features  of  the 
coast,  of  which  the  delta  of  the  Mississippi  is  one,  and  also 
when  a  certain  topographical  unlikeness  is  taken  into  ac- 
count. 

To  find  at  tlie  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river  a  large  vil- 
lage and  a  beach  suitable  for  the  careening  of  vessels,  or  to 
meet  with  forty  villages  on  its  banks  within  a  distance  of  ti 
little  more  than  twenty  miles,  is  impossible  of  belief  by  any 
on<;  who  has  ever  seen  that  locality.  The  Pineda  descrip 
tion,  indeed,  might  be  applied  with  more  justice  to  the  Pearl 
or  the  Pascagoula  of  the  Mivssissippi  Sound,  or  to  the  Mobile 


1.  Ill  tC/.i'.Mlic  Fn-iifli  i!oiinii:iii<lt'r.  IlxTvilU',  iiiJido  iilliaiu^e  with  various  nsitivo 
tribes  of  tin;  };ulf  I'li^ist.  Anion;?  seven  luilioiis  nicntioiicfi  as  living  to  tlie  e.ast  of 
llie  MissisHiilpi  weie  t  lit' Aiiiili'oii.  QiiiTy:  May  it  not  have  been  from  tlit,' aiicos- 
lors  of  til  is  peojile  t  liat  Pineda,  one  hundred  aud  eighty  years  before,  got  the  uuiuu 
for  this  land  lie  called  Anik'hel? 


THK   SPANISH   ACCOUNTS. 


19 


and  T<!nsus  which  ompiy  inU)  Mobile  Bay,  than  to  the  groat 
river  itself.  If  it  wore  not  for  the  particular  doscription  of 
ono  river  only  in  this,  th<i  first  writt<!n  account  of  any  part 
of  llie  northern  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  for  the 
placln*^  tlie  Espiritu  Santo  about  where  the  Mississippi 
should  be,  and  for  the  absence  in  the  chart  of  any  other 
stream  marked  enouf^h  to  compete  for  the  honor,  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  any  attempt  would  have  been  made  to  identify  the  two. 


'?"'"'4!'y..,. 


CO 


El 


20  THK    MISSIKSiri'l    ItlVKH   AM)    ITS    SOURCE. 

It  may  be  remarkod  in  addition,  that  a  map  similar  to  the 
Garay  chart  was  made  by  Cortes'  order,  apparently  about 
the  same  time,  and  sent  by  him  to  Spain  in  ir):20,  which,  in- 
stead of  a  mere  sugrgestion  of  the  entry,  shows  the  Espiritu 
Santo  as  an  extensive  bay  with  two  streams  at  its  head 
reaching  far  inland.    The  shape  of  the  bay  on  this  map  much 
resembles  that  of  the  Bay  of  Mobile  as  now  delineated  on 
poor  maps  of  small  scale;  and,  if  it  were  intended  to  repre- 
sent said  bay,  no  great  stretch  of  imagination  would  be  re- 
quired to  recognize  in  the  two  tributaries  emptying  into  its 
head,  the  Tombigbee  and  Alabama  rivers  of  to-day.     It  may 
be  reasonably  assumed  that  the  two  charts  were  both  com- 
piled from  information  furnished  by  Pineda  and  his  men. 
The  mouth  of  the  P".  dr  Arret isos  of  the  Cortes  map  may  be 
that  of  the  Mississippi. 

By  this  voyage  of  Pineda  was  the  arbitrary  and  unnamed 
line  bounding  the  western  sea  in  this  direction,  and  appear- 
ing on  some  of  the  earlier  maps,  proved  to  represent  a 
reality;  and  it  was  now  definitely  ascertained  that  at  no 
point  between  the  discoveries  of  Ponce  de  Leon  in  the 
Florida  peninsula,  and  those  of  Cortes  and  his  companions 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mexican  dependencies,  could  the  suji- 
posed  strait  be  found  by  which  vessels  were  to  pass  to  the 
islands  of  Asia. 

The  next  expedition  was  the  one  in  1528,  also  fitted  out  by 
Garay,  whi^.h  was  designed  to — "conquer  and  govern  the 
provinces  of  the  main  extending  from  the  river  Palmas  to 
the  Cape  of  Florida."  This  expedition  was  placed  under 
the  command  of  Panfilo  de  Narvaez,  "Governor  of  Florida, 
Rio  de  Palmas  and  Espiritu  Santo."  The  unhappy  fate  of 
this  party,  whose  destination  was  the  farther  side  of  the 


THE   SPANISH    ACCOUNTS.  21 

ro«rion  covered  by  the  patent,  is  well  known  t«  the  liistorical 
iN'uder.  Narvaez  had  empl  ed  a  pilot  because  lie  jji-ofessed 
to  have  been  at  the  Palmas  \er  and  to  be  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  coast  of  the  north;  but  ho  failed  to  find  the  har- 
bor he  knew  of,  and  when  the  ships  came  to  the  main  land 
it  was  on  the  western  coast  of  Florida,  where  they  had  to 
anchor  in  a  bay  unknown  to  him.  After  a  council  had  been 
lield  on  the  best  thing  to  be  done,  it  was  decided  that  the 
main  body  under  Narvaez's  own  command.  • '  should  march 
alons  the  coast  until  they  reached  the  harbor,  and  that 
those  in  the  ships  should  take  a  like  direction  until  they 
arrived  at  the  same  place."  Thus  the  land  and  sea  forces 
parted  and  they  never  saw  each  other  again.  After  suffer- 
ing much  hardship  from  excessive  hunger  and  fatigue  in 
passing  through  a  country  difficult  to  travel  in.  the  former 
came  to  Apalache,  an  Indian  town  supposed  to  be  not  far 
from  the  present  Tallahassee.  In  view  of  the  poverty  of 
the  land,  the  unfavorable  reports  of  the  country  beyond, 
and  the  continual  war  made  upon  them  by  the  Indians, 
Narvaez  determined  to  go  in  quest  of  the  town  of  Aute  — 
now  generally  supposed  to  have  been  situated  near  the  mod- 
ern St.  Mark's— and  of  the  sea  beyond  it.  When  he  arrived 
it  the  coast  nothing  could  be  seen  or  heard  of  the  ships;  so 
he  ordered  the  construction  of  boats  in  which  to  continue 
his  journey  by  sea.  They  had  but  one  carpenter  among 
them,  and  were  without  tools  and  the  materials  proper  for 
ship  building,  except  the  trees  of  the  surrounding  forests; 
but  to  this  forlorn  band  necessity  truly  became  the  mother 
of  invention.  They  erected  a  forge,  making  the  bellows 
from  horse  hides;  and  hammered  out  the  necessary  tools 
from  their  no  longer  needed  spurs  and  stirrups,  and  from 


22  THF.    NnSSlSSIPT>r    KIVKK    and    its    SOL'RCE. 

iron  takt'ii  from  their  cross-bows  and  other  things.  The 
manes  and  tails  of  their  slain  horses  i)rovided  the  ri;?ging 
and  ropes;  stones  served  for  anchors,  and  out  of  their  own 
shirts  they  made  sails.  In  forty  eight  days  their  five  ves.sels 
were  comi>leted.  which,  when  loaded  with  their  provisions 
and  with  about  fifty  men  each,  were  so  crowded  that  there 
was  no  room  in  which  to  move.  They  left  the  bay  on  the  22d 
of  September,  and  coasted  westward  laboriously  until  about 
the  31st  day  of  October,  when  they  arrived  at  some  estuaries 
where  they  lost  two  of  their  men  —  afterwards  heard  of  by 
the  Soto  forces  as  having  been  murdered  by  the  natives. 
This  locality  has  been  surmised  to  be  the  neighborhood  of 
Pensacola.  The  ensuing  morning  early,  in  spite  of  the 
opposition  of  the  Indians,  the  boats  put  to  sea  again.  Their 
next  adventure,  according  to  the  letter  composed  some  nine 
years  later  by  the  two  survivors  of  the  expedition  —  or 
rather  according  to  Oviedo's  version  of  it,  for  the  original 
is  not  extant  —  is  contained  in  the  following  paragraph : 

'  'And  our  people  were  ahead  and  went  two  more  days,  at 
the  end  of  which  the  boat  in  which  the  treasurer  was  arrived 
at  a  point  made  by  the  coast,  behind  which  was  a  river  that 
Howed  broad  and  swollen  from  freshet;  a  little  behind,  the 
boat  of  the  governor  and  the  others  anchored  at  some  is- 
lands near  by,  and  the  treasurer  went  to  them  and  made 
known  the  discovery  of  the  river.  As  they  found  no  wood 
with  which  to  parch  the  maize  they  had  been  eating  raw  for 
two  days,  they  agreed  to  enter  the  river,  of  which  they  took 
up  fresh  water  in  the  sea;  and  on  going  near  to  it,  the  violence 
of  the  current  at  the  entrance  did  not  permit  them  to  gain 
the  land.  While  working  to  get  to  it  the  wind  sprung  up  in 
the  north,  and  by  it  and  the  strong  current  they  were  put 


THE   SPANISH   ACCOUNTS.  23 

out  niore  to  sea.  And  they  sailod  tluit  night  and  the  next 
day  following,' up  to  night  timo.  when  they  found  themselves 
in  three  fathoms  depth,  and  seeing  that  evening  many  smokes 
cm  the  coast,  they  did  not  dare  t  >  laud  la  the  niglit  time,  and 
anchored."  ete. 

Nunez  Cabezade  Vaca.  who  wa^  the  treasurer  referred  to. 
in  the  lldation  that  he  .sent  to  CliarUis  V  the  same  year,  uses 
somewhat  different  words,  vi/.. : 

"We  sailed  that  day  until  tiie  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
when  my  boat,  which  was  tirst.  discovered  a  p;)int  made  by 
the  land,  n- d  against  a  cape  opposite  passed  a  broad  river. 
I  cast  anchor  near  a  little  island  forming  the  point,  to  await 
the  arrival  of  the  other  boats.  The  Governor  did  not  choose 
to  come  up,  and  entered  a  bay  near  by  in  which  were  a  great 
many  islets.  We  came  together  there  and  took  fresh  water 
from  the  sea,  the  stream  entering  it  in  freshet.  To  parch 
some  of  the  maize  wo  brought  with  us,  since  we  had  eaten  it 
raw  for  two  days,  we  went  on  an  island,  but  finding  no  wood, 
we  agreed  to  go  to  the  river  beyond  the  point,  one  league  off. 
By  no  effort  could  we  get  there,  so  violent  was  the  current 
on  the  way.  which  drove  us  out  while  we  contended  and 
strove  to  gain  the  land.  The  north  wind  which  came  from  the 
shore  began  to  blow  so  strongly  that  it  forced  us  to  sea  with- 
out our  being  able  to  overcome  it.  We  sounded  half  a  league 
out,  and  found  with  thirty  fathoms,  we  could  not  get  bot- 
tom; but  we  were  unable  to  satisfy  ourselves  that  the  cur- 
rent was  the  cause  of  the  failure.  Toiling  in  this  manner  to 
fetch  the  land,  we  navigated  three  days,  and  at  the  end  of 
this  time,  a  little  before  ihe  sun  rose,  we  saw  smoke  in  sev- 
eral places  along  the  shore.  Attempting  to  reach  them,  we 
found  ourselves  in  three  fathoms  of  water,"'  etc. 


21 


THK    MISSISSIIMT    UIVKU    AND    ITS   SOrUl^K. 


Now  it  may  W  safely  concludful  tliat  this  Ijir^r  river 
which  Ihoy  could  n«)t  enter  was  on*-  of  tlie  mouths  of  the 
Mississippi  of  that  time,  for  1  he  i>resent  small  delta,  judj,'- 
in*?  by  ^*>oloj?ical  doctrin**,  must  hav»'  b(H»n  mostly  built 
up  within  the  three  hundn'd  and  tifty  y«»ars  or  so,  since 
elapsed.  To  what  point  of  the  coast  of  tlie  (iulf  of  Mexico 
they  were  carried,  however,  is  unknown,  but  it  was  un- 
doubtedly somewhere  within  the  limits  of  the  present  state 
of  Texas. 


lIEBNANno  I)E  SOTO. 


In  a  few  years  was  consi«?ned  to  another,  but  hardly  more 
fortunate  man,  the  task  ol  conquering:  and  settling  the 
'•Province  of  Rio  de  las  Palmas  to  Florida,"  which  had 
proved  so  fatal  to  Narvaez  and  his  people.  This  was  Her- 
nando de  Soto,  a  man  already  renowned  as  a  conquistador, 
and  now  Adelantado  of  Florida 


THK    SPANISH    At'COI'NTS.  IP 

With  a  Unx'o  of  some  nim'  hundred  souls.  In-  lund(>d  in  the 
month  of  May,    UuV^,  on  Iho  western  coast  of  tho  j)oninsuhi 
t)l    Florida,    at  a  place  that   has  almost     uniformly    boon 
assumed  to  be  the  present   Tiimpa  Hay.     After  two  years' 
marching  through  portions  of   what  are  now  the  states  of 
Florida.  Geor^'ia.  South  Carolina.  Tennessee.  Alabama  and 
Mississippi,  tho  expedition   arrived  in  the  neif^hborhood  of 
the  Mississippi  River.     It  was  on  Sunday,   the  Hth  day  of 
May  1541  (old  style),  that  they  came  to  the  first  town  of  a 
country  called  Quizquiz.  and  at  two  Spani.sh  l<»a<?ues  beyond 
(or  about  seven  miles),  they  saw  the  great  river.    Impressed 
with  its  size,  it  being  tho  largest  one  that  they  had  yet  seen  in 
Florida,  thoy  called  it  liio  Grande  without  other  app(*llation. 
On  the  L'lst  the  little  army  passed  to  a  suitable  spot  on  its 
banks  where   they  tarried  four  weeks,  constructing  large 
boats  and  making  other  i)reparations  to  cross  over  to  the 
western  side.     The  passage  was  safely  effected  on  Sunday, 
the  18th  of  June.     The  place  of  crossing  was  at  some  point 
not  very  many  miles  below  the  present  city  of  Helena,  in 
Arkansas.  The  river  is  described  by  one  of  their  (chroniclers 
—an  eye  witness — as  being  here  a  league  and  a  half  wide, 
and  the  narrative  says  that  "The   stream  was    swift  and 
very  deep;  the  water,  always  flowing  turbidly.  brought  along 
from  above  many  trees  and  much  timber,  driven  onward  by 
its  force." 

Though  they  followed  a  northerly  course  from  where  they 
left  the  Mississippi  at  a  point  some  four  or  five  miles  above 
their  crossing  place,  there  is  no  direct  statement  of  these 
people  seeing  the  river  again  until  they  went  to  it  from  the 
native  town  or  village  of  Pacaha,  along  a  canal  described  by 
them  as  of  artificial  make,  and  as  being  three  leagues  in 


26  TFiK   MISSrSSIPFM    RIVKU    AND    TTS   SOURCK. 

lenj^th.  They  were  in  pursuit  of  the  cacique,  who  had 
retreated  to  a  fortified  camp  in  an  island  of  the  river  for 
fear  of  the  invadinj^  Spaniards  and  their  allies  of  Casqui. 
This  enclosed  town  of  Pacaha — or,  as  called  in  one  history 
only,  Capaha  has  been  considered  by  commentators  as  the 
farthest  point  to  the  northward  reached  by  Soto  and  his 
soldiers,  but  where  itw'as  situated  is  unknown,  and  probably 
will  always  remain  so,  thouj^h  it  was  scarcely  higher  up  the 
river  than  New  Madrid,  even  if  as  high.  It  has  been  thought 
by  some  that,  perhaps,  the  site  was  near  the  center  of 
activity  of  the  earthquake  of  1811,  which  caused  the  sub- 
sidence of  large  tracts  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Mis- 
sissipi)i.  and  that,  possibly,  what  remains  of  Pacaha  now 
quietly  rejioses  somewhere  at  the  bottom  of  the  "sunken 
lands,"  covered  with  water. 

Disappointed  in  his  expectation  of  finding  gold  in  the 
western  regions,  Soto  turned  his  footsteps  towards  the  river 
again,  and  on  April  17th,  1542,  arrived  at  its  banks,  some 
miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  where,  at  an  Indian 
village  called  Ouachoya,  he  made  his  headquarters.  He 
proposed  building  ships  there  by  means  of  which  to  send  to 
New  Spain  for  supplies  and  reinforcements,  in  order  to  be 
enabled  to  s(ittle  permanently  in  the  country,  but  his  death 
.  in  a  little  over  a  month  prevented  the  carrying  out  of  his 
plans  ;  for  when  he  died  the  desire  of  most  of  his  follow<n's 
to  remain  in  so  unfortunate  a  country  died  too.  Luys  Mos- 
coso,  his  successor  in  command,  in  agreement  with  the  other 
captains,  decided  that  they  should  try  their  fortunes  in  the 
west  and  southwest,  thinking  they  could  go  overland  to  their 
countrymen  in  the  latter  direction.  So  they  left  the  river 
on  the  5th  of  June.     In  about  five   mcmths,  however,  they 


THE  SPANISH   ACCOUNTS.  27 

roturned  to  it  ■»ittorly  disappointed  and  broken  men,  and  the 
most  ardent  desire  of  the  majority  now  was  to  f?et  safely 
out  of  the  country  to  the  nejuest  Spanish  settlements  by 
the  only  remaining  available'  route — that  of  the  Mississippi 
river.  It  was  at  another  Indian  villaj^e  called  Aminoya, 
about  as  far  above  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  as  Guachoya 
was  below  it,  that  Moscoso  took  up  his  winter  ({uarters,  and 
where  he  built  seven  brij^antines  to  carry  out  of  the  (country 
the  Spaniards,  who  numbered  but  a  few  over  one- third  of 
those  whom  Soto  had  brou«:a:ht  into  it  four  years  previously. 
They  left  July  I'd,  154^,  and,  sailing  day  and  nij^ht,  subject 
to  the  attacks  of  th«!  natives  in  their  hundreds  of  canoes  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  way,  arrived  in  seventeen  days  at 
the  place  where  th(i  river,  through  two  mouths.  emi)tied 
itself  into  the  .sea.  Their  further  adventures  do  not  concern 
the  subject  under  di.scussion. 

The  relation  of  these  men  to  the  discovery  of  the  Missis- 
sippi is  simply  this:  They  actually  traver.sed  its  waters,  in 
descending,  from  a  point  some  seven  hundred  miles  abov«! 
its  mouth,  and,  in  addition,  saw  mor<;  or  less  of  it  at  two 
places  farth(;r  up,  viz.  the  lands  of  Ouizquiz  andPacaha.  So 
it  may  be  safely  said  that  the  soldiers  of  the  diminishing 
army  commande'd  successively  by  Soto  and  Moscoso  were 
not  only  the  first  white  men  to  see  the  river  where  it  flowed 
through  the  interior  of  the  continent,  but  were  the  practical 
explorers  of  the  lower  two-fifths  of  its  course.  They  really 
thought,  however,  that  they  had  hit  upon  this  lilo  Grande  at 
its  very  origin.  This  was  a  misapprehension,  though  one 
interesting  enough  to  be  worthy  of  some  references  here  to 
the  old  maps  and  chronicles  in  order  to  show  how  it  arose. 
Besides  the  Garay   and   Cortes  maps  already  described,  on 


28  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

which  could  be  seen  the  three  names  of  Espiritu  Santo, 
Palmas  and  Panuco,  often  referred  to  in  the  Soto  narra- 
tives, there  was  another  one  that  was  used  by  the  officers  of 
the  expedition.  This  was  an  official  coast  chart,  made  by 
Alonso  de  Chaves  in  1530;  but,  unfortunately,  it  has  not 
come  down  to  our  time  nor  any  known  copy  of  it.  Yet 
there  is  a  description  of  the  map,  or  rather  an  itinerary  of 
the  sea  coast  from  high  up  on  the  Atlantic  and  around  the 
Florida  peninsula  to  Mexico,  which  was  compiled  from  it  by 
the  historian  Oviedo.  The  reader  should  understand,  by  the 
way,  that  though  this  Soto  expedition  turned  out  to  have 
been  a  roving  one,  it  was  not  intended  in  the  first  place  to 
have  been  so.  A  permanent  settlement  at  some  point  on  the 
sea  coast  had  been  contemplated,  and  would  after  a  while 
have  been  made  but  for  the  wi'ongheadedness  of  the  com- 
mander. 

There  was  a  certain  town  of  the  name  of  Cofitachequi  that 
the  party  came  to,  w^hich  was  situated  somewhere  in  what  is 
now  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  Here  Soto  was  treated  by 
the  lady  ruler  much  better  than  he  deserved.  When  he  left 
he  carried  her  along  as  a  sort  of  hostage,  according  to  his 
usual  fashion.  On  the  fourteenth  day's  march  the  army 
slept  on  a  level,  open  ground  (sdvanu),  where  they  ail  suf- 
fered much  from  cold,  and  where  the  cacica  managed  to  slip 
away  from  her  captors.  Speaking  of  this  locality  the  gov- 
ernor's private  secretary,  Rodrigo  Ranjel,  thus  expresses 
himself,  as  reported  by  Oviedo:  "Here  they  passed  by 
wading  that  river  on  which  later  the  brigantines  were 
launched  that  they  had  made.  It  runs  to  the  sea ;  and,  as 
the  sea  map  shows,  it  is  the  river  of  the  Spiritu  Sancto. 
which,  according  to  the  maps  of  the  cosmographer,  Alonso 


DIAGRAM 


SHOAVING  THE  PRINCIPAL  NAMES  AND  DISTANCES  (LEAGUES)  ALONG  THE  NORTH  SHORE 

OF  THE  GULF   OF  31EXICO. 
PRAWN  FROM  THE  DESCRIPTION  BY  OVIEDO,    IN   1537,     TO    ILLUSTRATE    J     V.   BROWER'S 

REPORT  UPON  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE    MISSISSIPPI   RIVER.      BY  A.   J.   HILL,   1891. 


THE   SPANISH   ACCOtTN'TS.  29 

de  Chaves,  enters  into  a  great  bay.  The  mouth  of  said  river 
is  in  salt  water,  under  81  degrees  this  side  of  the  equinoctial 
line." 

Captain  Luys  Hernandez  de  Biedma,  an  officer  of  the 
King,  also  accompanied  the  expedition.  His  report,  like 
the  diary  of  Ranjel,  first  became  public  in  the-  present  cen- 
tury. In  it,  when  speaking  of  this  neighborhood,  he  says; 
"Among  these  ridges  we  found  the  origin  of  the  great  river 
by  which  we  came  out,  and  we  believed  it  to  be  the  river  of 
Espiritu  Santo."  He  also  calls  the  Mississippi  at  the  place 
where  it  was  crossed  Espiritu  Santo  and  Rio  Grande. 

Garcilaso  de  la  Vega,  "the  Inca,"  who  by  the  way  was  not 
with  Soto,  but  drew  his  information  from  men  who  were,  in 
that  part  of  his  book  where  he  tre  -  < . "  the  extent  of  the 
country  traversed  by  the  little  c,  .y,  says  that  they 
'  'reached  the  ultimate  springs  where  the  great  river  is  born. 
Those  who  pretend  to  understand  something  of  cosmogra- 
phy say  that  from  where  they  embarked  to  the  source  of  the 
river  there  are  three  hundred  leagues,  and  others  say  much 
more,  but  I  take  the  most  moderate  opinion,  so  that  there 
are  eight  hundred  leagues  of  its  current  to  the  sea,  and  thus 
far  the  Spaniards  penetrated  the  land. " 

The  unknown  Portugese  Knight  of  Elvas  indirectly  con- 
nects the  two  streams  which  they  saw;  for  in  giving  the  no- 
menclature of  the  Mississippi,'  he  says  that  at  Guachoya  it 
was  known  as  Tamallsieu;  at  Nilco  as  Tapatuj  at  Coza  as 
Mico,  (Mekko,  chief?)  and  that  at  its  entrance  it  was  called 
simply  The  River.  It  may  be  remarked  that  Garcilaso  alone 
calls  it  the  Chucagua,  for  Juan  Coles  told  him  that  that  was 
the  name  the  Indians  knew  it  by;  and  it  is  an  interesting 
fact  that  it  was  also  one  of  the  names  of  the  Ohio  River  in 


;]0  THK    MISSISSIPPI    HlVEIi   AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

La  Salle's  time,  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  later.  The 
head-waters  they  had  seen  and  considered  those  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  were  not  really  such,  as  may  be  well  supposed,  but 
only  those  of  its  extreme  southeastern  tributary,  in  other 
words  of  the  Tennessee  River. 

A  corroboration  of  this  statement  may  be  inferentially 
had  from  a  certain  expression  to  be  found  in  the  account  of 
the  Tristan  de  Luna  expedition  of  twenty  years  later.  This 
was  projected  for  the  initiation  of  a  pacific  settlement  in 
Florida,  the  previous  attempts  at  settlement  having  failed 
through  the  tyranny  of  leaders.  Several  of  Soto's  old 
soldiers  went  with  it.  A  small  detachment  was  sent  to  Coza 
(in  northeastern  Alabama)  by  reason  of  its  great  importance 
at  the  time  the  Spaniards  were  there  before.  While  in  gar- 
rison at  that  place,  part  of  these  new  visitors  went  with  a 
Cozan  army  to  make  war  on  a  neighboring  nation  called  the 
Napochies.  who  lived  apparently  some  two  or  three  days' 
journey  farther  away.  Of  course  these  people  could  not  re- 
sist their  hereditary  enemies  now  that  the  latter  were  aided 
by  the  Spaniards  with  their  lire-sticks  and  wonderful  beasts, 
so  they  lied  incontinently  on  hearing  of  the  advance  of  the 
allied  forces.  The  Cozaus,  not  finding  them  anywhere  with 
all  their  searching,  surmised  that  they  had  not  thought  the 
woods  safe  enough,  and  had  lied  to  hide  themselves  in 
Odiechlton,  which  signifies  the  Great  Water.  Hearing  these 
words,  the  Spaniards  thought  that  it  must  be  the  sea  that 
was  meant,  "but  it  was  only  a  great  river  which  our  people 
call  the  Espiritu  Santo,  which  rises  among  some  great  n;oun 
tains  of  that  land  in  Florida." 

With   some   concluding   remarks  on  the  guiding  cartog- 
raphy   and    cartographical    results   of    this    expedition   of 


THE   SPANISH   ACCOUNTS.  31 

Hernando  de  Soto  it  may  be  dismissed  from  further  consid- 
eration here.  No  geograjjhical  sketch  or  route  map  by  any 
of  the  party  is  known  to  have  been  made;  thou^rh  possibly 
there  were  such,  constructed  on  the  basis  of  tlie  Chaves 
map  they  apparently  had  taken  witli  them.  Althougli 
curious  historians  of  the  present  century  liave  caused 
diligent  search  to  be  made  in  Spanish  archives  for  reports 
of  this  and  other  exploring  expeditions,  and  for  narratives 
of  missionaries  of  the  sixteenth  century,  as  well  as  for  maps 
of  the  countries  of  the  New  World,  but  very  few  papers  of 
that  kind  have  been  found  —  at  least  as  regards  the  region 
east  of  New  Spain.  Prior  to  the  return  of  the  survivors  of 
the  Soto  expedition  there  were  no  materials  for  filling  in  the 
interior  blanks  of  the  outline  maps  already  made  by  the 
Spaniards;  for  the  few  earlier  explorers  of  North  America 
hugged  the  coast,  and  scarcely  ventured  inland  beyond  tide- 
water. 

It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  the  members  of  the  Soto  expedi- 
tion produced  no  cartography;  nor  were  the  cartographical 
works  of  others,  based  on  the  narratives  thereof,  much  to 
boast  of.  The  unot!icial  map-makers  of  the  day,  being 
deprived  of  all  recourse  to  original  Spanish  documents, 
apparently  had  but  two  sources  of  information  open  to  them 
when  they  attempted  to  portray  the  hydrographical  features 
of  the  interior  of  the  continent  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
—  then  unknown  —  and  south  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  These 
were  the  book  of  the  Knight  of  Elvas,  which  was  printed  at 
Evora,  in  Portugal,  in  1557;  and  that  of  the  Inca,  likewise 
first  printed  at  Lisbon,  in  Portugal,  (though  a  Spanish 
book),  in  1605,  from  his  M.  S.  completed  in  1591.  Neither 
work  was  accompanied  by  a  map,  so  that  it  is  not  much  to 


32  THE   MISSISSIPI'I    KIVER    AND    ITS   SOUUCE. 

be  wondered  at  that  the  geographers  produced  confused 
maps.  It  WHS  on  the  Florida  map  of  the  Theatriim  Orhis 
Terranim  of  Abraham  Ortelius  of  Antwerp,  edition  of  liJHO. 
that  the  public  of  the  time  first  saw  an  attempt  to  represent 
the  interior  course  of  the  Jiio  Grande. '  On  this  map  the 
Rio  de  Spirito  Santo  is  shown  as  coming  from  the  north- 
ward, divided  in  the  u])per  part  of  its  course  into  four 
branches.  Two  of  these  come  from  the  north  and  north- 
west respectively  and  the  other  two,  much  longer  streams, 
from  the  northeast  and  east;  and  its  mouth  is  shown  as 
being  at  the  head  of  a  large  bay  called  the  Mar  Pequena, 
which  means  the  Little  Sea.  A  misleading  error  of  the  map 
is  the  extension  of  the  Rio  de  Canaveral  of  the  coast  charts 
northward  until  it  connects  with  the  eastern  branchings  of 
the  other  river.  Maps  of  the  country  constructed  after  the 
publication  of  the  Inca's  book  make  hopeless  confusion;  for 
all  the  towns  mentioned  in  it  are  scattered  over  the  land 
without  regard  to  any  reasonable  placing  of  them  in  refer- 
ence to  the  order  in  which  they  were  met  with  by  Soto's 


1  This  map  boars  tin- title  La  FLORIDA.  Auvtore  Ilienm  ("liiaves,  and  therefore 
does  not  claim  to  1)0  ll»e  work  of  Ortelius  himself.  I  take  this  Hieron  Chiaves  to 
be  no  other  than  Jerome  de  Chaves,  a  t-osmographer,  who  Is  briefly  mem ioned  In 
the  bloiiraphioal  dietionaries. 

That  Ortolius,  as  a  geographer,  used  every  eflfort  to  obtain  information,  there 
oan  be  no  doubt.  Justin  Winsrr,  in  his  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America, 
{IfSd),  speaks  thus  i  f  him :  "He  prefixed  to  his  book  a  list  of  the  authorities  ['about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  in  all']  from  whoso  labors  he  had  constructed  his  own  maps. 
*  *  *  *  It  has  not  a  single  Spanish  title,  which  indicates  how  closely  the 
Council  for  the  Indies  had  kept  their  archives  from  the  unofBcial  cartograpers."' 
No  wonder,  when  Charles  V.  forbade  the  giving  away  of  American  maps  to 
foreigners! 

Besides  his  extensive  leading,  it  may  be  added  that  Ortelius  also  sought  for 
information  from  first  hands;  for  in  the  short  description  he  gives  of  Florida  in 
the  text  of  his  atlas  he  incidentally  speaks  of  having  obtained  his  Information 
concerning  the  legion  from  Jacobus  Colius,  Vfhohad  seen  it.  Query- May  not  this 
man  with  the  latinized  name-  in  spite  of  the  difference  of  the  Christian  name 
—have  been  Garoilaso's  informant  Juan  Coles?  At  the  time  Ortelius  was  making 
his  maps,  and  Garcilaso  getting  materials  for  his  history,  there  were  still  men 
living  who  had  been  with  the  Soto  expedition. 


THK   SI'AXISH    ACCOT-NTS. 


88 


-3 


:\i  'I'liH  MISSISSIPPI  i:i\Kii  AM)  ITS  soiuc:-:. 

luwny  on  th<>  niarcli.  And  into  the  Mar  IN'ciiuMiii.  now  slylod 
tht'  lUihiii  ill'/  Spirifn  Sdiilii.  four  lar«j^<'  i'i\«'r.s  «'nipty  instead 
of  one.  The  most  caslcrn  of  tliese  streams  Is  iuuikmI 
ChiK-agua.  but  moi'e  fi-eciuently  Canaveral:  tlw  center  one> 
are  nameless,  and  tlie  one  on  tlie  northwest  sid«'  of  the  l)ay 
is  called  K.  del  Spirito  Santo. 

Now  the  conchision  which  I  draw  from  a  collection  of  the 
Oviedo  list  with  all  old  maps  accessible  to  me  licrc,  in  what 
concerns  the  subject  of  this  writin*?,  are  the  followin«^: 

1st.  That  the  Bay  of  Hsi)iritu  Santo  of  th<'  Chaves  maps, 
(whatever  that  of  Garay  and  Cortes  mi«^ht  have  been),  which 
was  represented  by  Oviedo  as  havinj?  an  extent  east  and 
west  of  twenty  leagues  of  longitude,  and  in  parts  of  ten  to 
twelve  of  latitude,  was  the  present  Galveston  Bay;  and, 

'2d.  That  either  the  Canavcn-al  river  or  the  K.  tie  Floi-es 
of  the  maps  generally  was  intended  for  the  Mississippi 
itself — most  prcibably  the  former. 

This  embarrassin«ji:  "Bay  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  with  it> 
plenitude  of  tributary  streams,  stood  in  the  way  of  correct 
map-malvin<^  for  more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  or  until  the 
re-discovery  and  full  identification  of  the  mouths  of  the 
Mississii)pi  from  the  direction  of  the  sea.  by  Ib(»rville  in 
1699,  atforded  the  means  for  rightly  adjusting  the  geograi)liy 
of  the  interior  to  that  of  the  coast. 

Yet  thero  still  remains  unsettled,  and  probably  always 
will  remain  so.  the  historical  « question  as  to  who  gave  the 
information  by  which  the  three  (pioted  places  were  located 
on  the  earliest  maps  of  the  sixteenth  century.  A  correct 
answer  to  this  question  might  give  a  clue  to  the  first  dis- 
coverer of  the  entrance  of  the  Mississippi;  though  it   may 


THK    SPANISH    ACCOL'NTS. 


85 


J^ft  TlIK    MISSISSIIMM    Ul\KU    AM)    rTS    SOTKCK. 

roasoniiljly  !)(' itrt'sumt'd  that  tliero  were  many  pilots  from 
vvhom  tho  faf^ts  could  liavp  b«M'n  dorivrd. 

Ill  tlu'  sevonU'enth  <'«Mitury,  prior  to  tht*  time  o!  Joliet  aiul 
Manpu'tt*'.  the  Mississippi  river  was  certainly  seen  ayaiii 
by  the  Sjianiai'ds,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  followin*;  extract 
fi-(jm  the  account  of  the  expedition  under  the  command  of 
Governor  Penalosa  of  New  Mexico,  which  left  Santa  Fe  in 
the  year  ItitU  to  visit  the  •Quivera"  Indians: 

'•Throii«ih  these  most  i)leasant  and  fertile  fields  we 
marched  durin*,'  the  months  of  March.  April,  May  and  the 
kalends  of  Junti,  and  arrived  at  a  lar<;e  river  which  they  call 
Mischii)i,  where  we  saw  the  first  Indians  of  the  Escanxafiues 
nation,  who  mi^ht  be  to  the  number  of  ;{.000  most  warl^ce,"' 
etc.  The  only  report  extant  of  this  journey  and  its  inci- 
dents was  written  by  an  eye  witness.  Father  Nicholas  l^'rey- 
tas,  whose  words  are  quoted  above,  and  he  therefore  is  the 
first  European,  so  far  as  now  known,  to  record  tlie  name  of 
the  great  river  in  its  Algonquin  form,  although  the  Arkansas 
Indians  he  here  came  amongst  were  not  of  that  stoclc ;  it 
may,  however,  have  been  given  to  him  l)y  the  "Quiv'oras." 
wlioever  they  were.' 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  liistorical  abstracts  that 
the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  river  by  the  Spaniards  was 


1  This  Fatlior,  belni:  a  iiiaa  of  eilucatioii.  was  probably  aoqiiiiiiited  with  tin- 
publlsht'il  writ iiijis  ot  lilt'  Jfsuit  inis-iioiiaries  wlio  went  fioni  Fraiu't' to  Canada, 
nut  hu  could  not  have  ohtaliied  thi;  iiaiiui  of  tlio  river  from  t  liat  .source,  as  it  do«'s 
not  appear  iu  the /{cfu/iV'/ls  till  lC<i7,  and  he  wrote  in  ItMi'J.  His  ideas  of  tho  ;;eo;rra- 
Ijliy  of  the  interior  of  tho  country,  however,  may  well  have  been  aorived  frotnthese 
worlvs,  iu  connection  witii  those  of  (")ianii)laiii  and  Otlieis,  for  ho  speaks  of  "  known 
nations"  al)out  as  follows:  The  first,  he  says,  are  tlie  Es<'an\a(iues,  having  to  the 
north  of  tliein  tho  Land  of  Fire  (i.  c.  the  Masiioutens  country),  and  lilfiher  up 
tlie  Fresh  Water  lake,  of  excessive  size  (Lakes  Midiifran  ami  Huron),  Intowhicli 
empties  another  lake  called  Piiehui.  t.  Poualak— Lake  Sui)erior).  He  then  des- 
cribes liow.  proceeding  from  said  nation  towards  New  France,  tliero  were  met  with 
the  Neuters,  Antivorinos  i  Antouoronoiis  of  ('haniplain's  map).  Kaised-Uairs,  I'e- 
tunsand  lliro<iuecs,  tiieselast  l)ein<;tlic  Hercest  of  all. 


TIIK   SI'AMSII    AITOUNTS. 


8; 


iiirldontal  only:  for.  as  before  said.  th«'ir  colonization  pro 
J<'(ts  rutlH'r  cotitiMuplatfW  coast  s»'ttlcmcnts  than  intcijcr 
ones,  and  journeys  inhind  wci-f  mostly  made  from  the  inci 
tation  of  tilt'  •thirst  tor  ^'old"  ascribed  to  them  by  the 
Kn^'lisli  poet.  In  spite  of  the  first  discovery  of  the  Missis- 
sijjpi  valley  by  its  subjects,  the  <rovernmont  of  Spain  never 
v<»ry  strenuously  pressed  any  claim  to  territorial  possession 
on  that  account,  nor  attempted  colonization  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  until  more  than  two  centuries  after  Soto's  time,  nor 
even,  so  far  as  is  known,  prosecuted  any  further  exploration 
towards  its  true  source.  Still,  they  may  have  a.scended  it 
more  or  loss  for  tradin<^  i)urposes.  but  of  that  there  are 
scarcely  more  than  va^ue  rei)orts. 


O  o 


UKUrc  KIJ   FKOM   OUOXTUS   FIXES'  <iL(H;E  ]:yil. 


sriMn\ isioN  roi  inn. 


iiu:  I  im:\(  II  A(  (orxTs. 


THI':  I'  AI'AL  i'.CI.I.: .)  ACr^l  l-iS  <  ;A  liTI  KK;  CHAMl'LA  IN; 
JKAN    MCOLKT;     liA  ^  M  I'.A  I  .LT    AND    JfKil'KS; 

(;i:(jSKiLLiKi:s  and  i^adisson;  i.a  sai.lk 

ON  TIIK  ()\i\()  lilVKIi;  .lOlJK'J' 
AN1>  MAIif^CKT'l'l-:. 


Tl.  w;is  on  \]i<'  lUi   (hiyof   .\l;iy,   11!);;.  Uiul    ;i    liour.m    J'ojx-. 
AI«!x;iii(l<T  \'l..  iiijlilislu'd  a.  liiill    fjy  whird    l)i«-   v]<j;\il   Ijy  (lis 
c.ovi'vy  to  tlif  ru'vv  Uinds  of  tin-  jrlolx'    was   (lisidfd    l><;t.w»M'ii 
lh<!  crowus  ol    Spain    and    l*')rl  u^jfa,! ;   and    tli>'    |»f).ss<!.ssion   «»l 
wliiil.«'\  <*r  tlicy  li;ul  di.sc.<«v'<M<'(J,  or  shouhl  WKtri'-.yflcf  (Wscovcr, 
was  conliciiK'd    to   th'-rn    r^'spcrt  iv<'ly.      'V\n'   drH-umcnt,   tlins 
coolly  disposing.' of  all  of   the  Aini'rira.s.  most,  of  Al'rira,  tho 
•  ■asb-rn    pact,  <d    Asia,  and    the    islands   ol'  tin-  ^rrvat.    ortratis 
l><'tw<'<'n  two  l-iuropf-an  powers  a,lr>n<'.  niadf  tli*-  lineof  di'inar' 
«-al,ion  a  /n<'iidi;tn  passi/i;/  noft.li  and  :-,oii1li  t  he  ju^'li  tin-  l''(!fo<' 
islands  and    IIm-  A/orcs.      Dut    a  y«!af   latci-  this   lin*;,  at.  tho 
insl.an*-*;  ol    I'oft  ij;_'-;d,  was  shiltcd  lartotlx-  wcst'^ard.     Tin- 
fj«jo^raphi(:al  r«!sults  of  thf  n<;w  uiiiUi'^i'inctiU  so  la i' as  con 
c^iiAi'A  lh«'  w«!st<;ni  li»-njispln-»-(i,  watt;  to  ^iv«!  to  I'ortii<.'al  tin- 


'Ill),     I   Ui;.N<:H     A«  COINTS.  ti'J 

•  •astirrri  pai'l  ol  the  <(»iiti(i<'iit  of  South  Ain<rririt.  with  litll<t 
inon;  *>r  Nortli  Aiin-(i<;i,  thiui  tin-  isliiiicl  n]  N<*\vlonii<ll;irni. 
uliil*!  tlif  ri'iiiiiiiidiT  oT  liolli  <-otit  iiKMits  l)i'c;itiic  t  lir  |»r'0|K'rty 
ol"  Spain. 

I"'»'!inc<;    iidd    l"iii;rlaii(l.    Iio\v<'V<t.    mikI    ",ul>sc(|mMit  I  y  othci' 
nation.s,  alt.iT  ;i  time,  -.(■••in  to  hav"-  looked    iipoii  this   proda 
mat.ioji  ;i.^  ;i, />/•//////;/    Inhinii.   lor  they  do   not    ;ipp<';ic    to    ha\<' 

•  •\  (;f  ;.n  v<'/i  t.hfir  lornial  con.srtnl  \*t  it.  ;ind  <'\'idciitly  had  no 
j<i'(:al  I'fai'  </!  oiri'ndin<^  l,li<-  <j;'ov«'inni'-nts  ol  IIk-  ll*<'ii;i.n 
pfnin.snla  by  di.sre^^ardin^'  it.  I''fcii<-,hni<'n  ;ind  l'in;_'-|islini<Ti, 
with  or  witJioiit.  t.h<' cons'tiii  ol  1ln'ir  rnlfcs,  sooti  in;i.d<;  voy- 
;i,jif<!S  t.o  tlie  ,shf>nr.s  of  IIk;  N«'vv  VVoild  to  obtain  (Mxltish,  Uj 
tca(l<!  I'of  furs  or  to  attempt  <ol«>nizat,ion. ' 

1  'I  III:  1iiI,i:M:-i;h  or  liUli.iii-;il  I  nilli,  liowi-viw.  riM|  iilri'  tlir.  iicU  timvIi-.dKiniiil.  i.f 
I  li"-  f;i.<-t.  Ihiil  III  M|ilt"' <if  I  III-  iii'V'lii'i.  i,f  llio  H|isiiil!tiiis  III  iimiijy  mnri!  I.liiiii  li  f<-vv 
|il;i.<i-«  .tliiiiK  t  III'  <^<»!iil~i  nf  I  111-  A  I  liiiit  1<-  iH'i-iiii  :i.ii'l  of  I  In-  'in If  ut  .M<  \l'''i.  Id  iiddl- 
I  Inn  to  (III-  li-i-fllory 'iilKlniilly  iKiiuir-  >1  l>v  i-<iiu|in-~il ,  ;iii(l  llii-lr  pi  ;h-I  h-ul  urijiil- 
i:>i<riii-i!  Ill  tin-  M-l  I  li-liii-lil.  nf  I  liir  ii<ii  I  lii-;i  ^lii  ii  |);irl  uf  llif  (-1)1111111-111  hy  ollii-i- 
ti:illiiii-i  til  III  itii-li  iiMii,  l.tii-y  ri-itlly  IiikI  iioI  ,-iIi;iiiiIiiiii-i|  llii-ii  i-hiliii-t  lo  In;  tin- 
rl^'lilfiil  |ii)>isi'Mti>ri  of  (III-  wlioli; ''oiiiil ry 

'.•iii-i-ii  Kll/.:iilii-l  li'n  worilt   III    ri'|<lyliit'   Ui   ii   i-<-inoiiil  i-;iiii-i- of   I  In- -punl'ili  I'.inlni-- 

idol  i-onri-riiliiK  ii  (*rojiTli-(|  i-xpi-dltli.-ii  <»f  Hli-  I' riim-lM  Driiln-.  wi-n-:  "Thai  ^In- 
did  iiol.  iitidi-i-sliiiid  wliy  t-llln-i-  lii-r  miiIiJi'i-Ih  or  l.hosi-  of  ;iii  v  ol  Ih-i-  rJii-o|ii--iii  prlm-i- 
diould  Ix!  di!|ii-lvi:d  of  Mil-  I  r-iiflh-  In  tin-  Indli'i;  I  Inil  ;in  dn-  did  nol  ar-;,  no\vli-d;.'i-  I  In- 
-|)iiiiliirili  1.0  liiivi:  any  il;.'lii  liy  I  In:  donalli.n  of  tin-  Hl-liii|j  of  Konn,  -o  idii- U  in- a 
of  no  jIkIiI,  I  lial  I  lii-y  liad  lo  any  plai-i-  ol  In-r  Mi.tn  I  lio  ii-  I  In-y  wiTi-  In  ai'l.iial  pohMt-n 
-lonof." 

I  n  1101,  «  lii-n  I  In-  I  1 1  inli  iindi-r  I  In  1 -v  illi:  li:id  -ii-l/i  d  wll  li  lln-  Inli-iillon  of  |)<t- 
inainiil,  oi-cii|)aiii-y ,  lln-  tnoiillri  of  1  In-  Mi'i  ■.l-vil|)|)i  and  lln-  <oiil  i;<iioii  -.  lonnl  i  y ,  tin: 
lln-  Uln^of  Hpaln,  liy  way  of  pioli:^!:  forwacdi-d  lo  I  In:  kin;/  of  l-'ianr-i-,  '  IiIh  wi-II- 
l/i-iovrd  Ijiolln-f."  a  ictiorl.  on  tin:  hiiIi)i:i;I,  niadi:  lolum  1  y  liU  .liinl  a  of  VVarof  lln- 
I  ndli:H,  In  I.IiIh  doi  iiini'iit  It  \n;:-,  'staled,  strnoiiK  ol  In-r  1  liin.'*^  I  luil  I  In:  S|janl  di  I.  lll,■ 
looli•!<J  illjon  Ml):  MNHlHnl|i|il  ri\i-r  as  "tin:  v,ifA\i-^\  01  n.'iiin-nl  of  liN  <Towii,  "  and 
I  lial.  Willi  .'ill  I  III'  ri:'<t  of  l.ln:  coiiiil  ry  It  liad  lii:i'ii  /I  m-ii  lo  liim  hy  t  In-  hull  of  Al<-  \  ■ 
aiidi-r  \\.  Allii>iloii  wa>^  a.No  niadi:  to  tin:  i'X|ii'dll  Ion  of  llnnando  di-  .Soto.  'I'lm 
I'li-ii'h  niliiNti-i  of  inailni',  In  a  -ilali-  |ia|(i-r  ri'iilyln^^  lo  lln-->i-  ii-iin-x-ntat  lonn 
I'hruiK'd  that,  I  In:  l'o|n-  >  I  In-nni-K  ••"  wi-ri;  no  |on;.'ri'  of  lln-  opinion  l.lial  I  h::  "liiii'  of 
di  iiial'i'!i.lli»n  "  had  any  fiiilln-i  foi-i'i-  In  hi-ilowln;?  all  of  Ihi:  .Ni-w  World  on  thn 
I'lowiiH  of  Ca^it  III:  and  l'ort.iixal.  Ili:  ".lali'd  that  1  In- dlin'i— i- of  '.tin-hi'"' had  hi-i'ii 
(■ii'al.«:(l  silid  hilllH  iHNMi'd  at.  various  l.lnn-'-i  lo  lln-  hl-hop^  u  ho  r  nli-d  ovi-i  il  ;  Ih.il 
authority  wan  fiirnlhhi'd  t.o  vli-arn  apokiiollr  Koln;;  lo  tin-  i'linrh  lolonh  m;  and, 
iiiori'ovi:r,  !  hat.  all  tliU  wa-idoni:  without  Ihoiil/lit  'hal  1  hoif  who  ^hoii  Id  ••Htahll-h 
t  hi'iiiiK:!  vi-H  In  I  hi; ''ouiit  ry  will'  llahli:,  .-n  I  In;  .■^pa  nia  I  di  now  ijaliin-d  lo  lln-  pin- 
allt.y  of  i;.\-i'oniiiiuilk'al  ion. 


10  ■nil';  MississiiMM   ui\i;k  am>  its  soi.kck. 

Anions  llif  <';nlif-^t  (lavij^alors  iti  iif,tlh«!rri  latitudes  \\<m<- 
t  lio  J"'r«'t)'-li,  who.  (■oiiiiiK-iicirij^  Kn-ir  <'X|)lot"itif)n.s  a'ld  x-ltlf- 
rn(!nt>s  c)ri  tln'  Allantic  coast,  ;i  little  oxer  foi'ty  years  ;irifr 
tlieticst  \()yi<v'«"  "I  ( !oliiMihiJs.  wor'Ked  ;rca(liia,lly  westward 
Ilit(»  t  lie  interior  of  the  eoiint  ry.  In  Jusi  a  eeot  iiry  tlieii'  jn'O 
pie  at  last  reached  the  water  shed  <i\'  the  ujjper  Mississippi, 
where  no  white  man  had  (!\cr  been  hclorc  them. 

'i^lie  man  who  lirst  \>i'<^;iu  this  west.«'r"n  mo\ernent  was 
.)ac(|H(;s  '  lart  ier.  who,  in  \7t',',7t,  on  t  In;  (u-r-usion  of  his  second 
voyaj^<!,  ascended  the  St.  Ijawn^me  ri\er  to  the  Inrlian  town 
of  Ho(;h<!la^a,  thepjar-e  where  .Montreal  was  sul>.se(jne);t  ly 
built  ]>y  thos(i  who  came  two  or  three  ;;eri<!ral,ions  alter  hirn. 
fn  liis  third  voyage  he  proceeded  no  larther.  nor  did  anyone 
els(!  immediately  sncceediri'.'-  him;  a,nd  it  was  neacly  fit'ty 
y(!ars  hel'ore  the  nati\es  (d'  th<;  St.  Lawrence  were  a^^-ain 
startled  hy  the  apparition  of   I'onii^n  ships. 

ill  lOO;;.  Samuel  de  (;hamj)lain  made  his  lirst  \oya^e  to 
(.'anada;  hut  he  could  not  at  that  tim«!  j)ush  his  •'Xj>lorations 
b(!yond  the  rapids  or  San/f  of  St.  I^ouis,  not  far  from  the 
eminernte  iie  named  Mont  /.'mf.  l-'ive  years  lat<'r  he  a^/ain 
visittid  the  St.  Lawr<!nce  river,  and  laid  out,  the  town  of 
Quebec.  The  lirst  white  man  to  advance;  b<!yond  the  ra[)ids 
of  St.  Lfjuis,  howe\-er,  was  not.  Cliarriplain  liimself.  but  one 
of  his  i)(!oj)le.  a  yf>iin;^''  man,  whose  name  is  ncnv  unknown, 
who  volunteerr;d  id  visit  the  llurons  in  th<!ir  villages,  and 
who  wintered  theie  with  tli(an  in  1<>1';  11.  T\h'.  roub;  thitiier 
was  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  ri\'er.  Nipissin^''  lake;,  Fr<;nch 
river  and  the  (ieor<.;ian  bay  of  Lake  'iuron.  Later,  pr(!C(;d(.'d 
imm(!diately  by  b'atber  le  (!aron,  oi'  the  lic'collocits,  the  j)io- 
rieer  reli^'ioijs  order  in  New  France;,  (!harnplain  mad(;}iis  \isit 
to  the  t  rib<!  ill  Ibl.';   but  he  had  to  prolonj^  his  stay  with   them 


Till';  i'iii';N(ii   ,\(T(»i;.\'rs.  41 

into  th(!m!Xt your.  TIk-  llurons  liv(!(l  ill  UH'OJisljM-ncxt.roinity 
of  ;i  larj^f  \:i\<f,  smk*-  calN'd  l>y  lln'ir  iiarnf,  wiiicfi  ('li;irn 
plain  always  spok*-  of  as  t,h«!  J/'V  ilnmr,  or  l-'rcsli  sea.  Tln' 
titrM!  Ik' spent  here.  <hi  the  s<jwt  lieasb-fu  shf<r'<'  of  ( ic()r;/i;iii 
l>ay,  he  pill  to  <^<)()d  use;  atnon;/  oilier  (lf>in;<"s,  by  \isi1inir 
the  Nation  of  Tcibaeco.  and  that  of  Hk;  I>cesse(i  I  laic,  in  the 
nei^^hborin;^  west  and  s(iut hwest,,  ;ind  lie  niiule  iiKprny  ;i  ^  to 
the  tribes  bey«Hid  them,  lie^^'ardinj^  t lie  lej^^iotis  lyin^'  rjicther 
to  the  west,  lie  wrot.e  that  they  could  lin(i  out  but  liit  le  about, 
them,  as  t.hc!  ti*ib(;s  he  visit.ed  had  only  :ic(|u;iint,;iiicc  with 
them  lor  two  or  tiir<-e  hundred  lea;-'iies,  oi- o\er.  in  the  direr- 
tioii  wh(!n(;o  eam<!  the  ^^'le.'it  ri\<'r  deseribed  ftheSt.  Law 
rencej;  b<!side'S,  the  savages  with  whom  he  was  sojr)urnin;^ 
were  at  war  with  the  other  iiiitions  lyin;^  west  of  the^.'-ns'it 
lake  mentioned,  which,  he  says,  "is  the  rea.son  th;it  we  h;i\e 
not  b(!<;n  able  to  obtain  fiilh-r  infoinuit ion  about  it,  «!.\cept 
that  th«;y  have  mjiiiy  timers  tf>ld  us  that  some  prisoners  from 
one  hiindnid  lea<^ue's  away  had  r<dated  to  them  t[iat  tli(;re 
W(!r(!  ])eople  Uicra  similar  \<)  us  in  whiteness  aii(J  otiierways, 
havin«<  so(!ri  amonj^'  thein  scalps  of  these  p<'op|e,  \<'ry 
blonde,  which  they  tr<(;i.siir(;  hi;.^hly.  Ixicause,  they  say.  they 
an;  lilc<!  us.  I  do  not  Icnow  what  to  think  abou',  it,  unless  it^ 
may  bi!  that  th<!re  art;  people  mor<!  civilized  tluiri  they.  ;nid 
who  they  say  i'es<!mbl(!  us.  It  weic  a,  thin;^''  much  to  !><• 
d(jsirf!d  to  have  the  trutli  about  this  Icnowri  by  eye,  but  help 
ismiedcd;  th(!re  r«!m;i.iii  only  time  an<l  the  coura;^e  of  some 
por.sons  <>\'  means  who  could  ov  would  iiiid<!rtake  to  assist 
this  project,  so  that  s(jm<!  day  we  could  make  :i  full  and  per 
IVict  di.scovery  (d'  these  places,  in  order  to  have;  a  complete 
knowlodj^o  of  th(!m." 

Thus   spoke  (Jliamplain,    the    true     lover   of    sctieticc;,    Ijiit 


42  THE    MISSlSSllM'l    KIVEK   AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

assistance  for  the  purposes  of  discovery  was  not  forthcom- 
ing in  those  days  more  than  it  is  at  the  present  time! 
Though  Champlain  remained  in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  New 
Prance  for  many  years,  he  was  never  able  to  make  journeys 
to  the  upper  country  again;  from  which  resulted  the  fact 
that  the  mouth  of  the  French  river,  on  the  northern  shore 
of  Lake  Huron,  marks  the  extreme  western  limit  of  his 
explorations. 

Sixteen  years  later,  (in  1632),  accompanying  the  complete 
edition  of  his  "Voyages,"  he  published  a  large  general  map 
of  the  northern  country,  drawn  by  himself,  on  which 
appeared  al?  the  geographical  information  in  his  possession, 
both  that  which  he  had  gained  from  his  own  experience  and 
that  which  he  had  gathered  from  others.  Unfortunately, 
the  latter,  so  far  as  regarded  the  country  beyond  his  fresh 
sea,  was  very  scanty  and  much  distorted.  Although  the 
eastern  end  of  a  very  large  lake  is  shown,  with  a  saiilt,  or 
fall  at  its  outlet,  (of  course  Lake  Superior) ;  yet  the  placing 
on  the  south  shore  of  it  "a  great  river  which  comes  from 
the  south,"  and  the  putting  the  river  des  Puann,  with  the 
habitations  of  the  tribe  of  that  name,  (in  other  words  the  pres- 
ent Fox  river  and  the  Winnebagoes).  to  the  north  of  Lake 
Huron  immediately  below  the  mnJt.  made  great  confusion. 
This  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  difficulty  of  correctly 
conveying  geographical  information  through  the  medium  of 
interpreters,  a  difficulty  supplemented  by  inability  or  the 
part  of  Indians  to  jierceive  erroneous  relationships  on  naps 
drawn  in  connection  with  such  processes  as  were  then  used 
It  might  be  supposed  that  the  ^riysterious  reports  Cham- 
plain  had  heard  concerning  the  interior  of  the  country  were 
shortly  cleared  up,   but  they  were  not  in  fact.      Traveler 


THK   FRENCH   ACCOUNTS.  4i] 

after  traveler  added  to  the  stock  of  <:eogr5iphicai  knowledge, 
but  each  expedition  seemed  somehow  to  fall  short  of  its 
promise:  the  queer  stories  changed,  but  continued  in  one 
shape  or  another  for  a  full  century  after  Champlain's 
time. 

The  next  man  to  continue  the  work  of  discovery  was  one 
Jean  Nicolet,  of  whose  western  journey  but  little  is  known; 
for  nothing  from  his  own  pen  is  extant,  nor  any  ma])  known 
to  be  compiled  from  notes  taken  by  him.  For  the  only 
original  information  concerning  the  life  and  travels  of  this 
man  we  are  indebted  to  the  letters  and  reports  of  the  Jesuit 
Fathers  contained  in  the  well  known  "Relations."  which 
were  a  sort  of  Missionartj  Herald  from  New  France,  very 
carefully  edited  and  published  each  year  in  Paris  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  faithful.  From  two  of  these  it  is 
learned  that  Nicolet  came  to  Canada  in  161b,  and  was  shortly 
sent  to  what  is  now  the  Isle  des  Allumettes,  on  the  Ottawa 
river,  to  learn  the  language  of  the  Algonquins  there;  and 
that  he  lived  with  that  tribe  two  years.  Afterwards  he 
lived  similarly  with  the  Nippissings.  much  farther  west,  on 
the  lake  of  that  name,  v  hence  he  was  recalled  by  his 
employers,  the  Company  of  New  France,  and  appointed 
clerk  and  interpreter  in  the  settlements  below.  In  this 
capacity  he  was  commissioned  to  make  a  voyage  to  the 
nation  known  as  the  Getis  de  Mer,  or  People  of  the  Sea. 
(^subsequently  known  as  the  Winnehagoes),  hitherto  unvis- 
ited  by  white  men,  and  to  negotiate  a  peace  between  them 
and  the  Hurons,  beyond  whom  they  were  distant  in  a  west 
ern  direction  about  800  leagues.  Reaching  his  destination, 
he  held  a  council  at  which  four  or  live  thousand  savages 
were  present,  and  at  which   the    required  peace  was  con- 


44  THK    MISSISSIIMM    l{l\Hli    AND    ITS    SOlltCi:. 

eluded.  He  rotui'iunl  to  tlic  Hurous  and  aftor  a  while  to 
Throo  Rivors,  whero  he  continued  U)  pci'i'orm  liis  duty  as 
cl<'i-k  and  intcrprciter  "vory  satisfactorily."'  It  has  been 
demonstrat<;d  almost  conclusively,  that  this  journey  took 
place  in  the  latttr  half  of  1<»:;1  and  tirst  half  of  IGU.';  ])ul. 
unfortunately,  his  route  cannot  be  so  well  shown.  From 
the  names  of  the  tribes  whom,  as  P''ather  lo  Jeune  says,  ••he 
\isited  himself  for  thf;  most  ])art  in  their  own  country."  it 
would  appear  that  he  follow<'d  th<i  nortli  slioi-e  (^f  Lake 
Huron  to  the  Sanlt,  then  coasted  around  Lake  Michigan  to 
the  second  SLr  iJovrc,  now  the  sheet  of  water  known  as 
Oreen  Bay,  which  he  ascended  until  he  came  to  th(!  "Oui- 
nipegou,  sedentary  tribes,  very  numerous,"  called  by  some 
the  nation  t/e.s  ruan.s,  (the  stinking"  ones),  but  more  properly 
the  Gens  tie  Mrr.  "In  the  neighborhood  of  this  nation  are 
the  Naduesiu,  the  Assinipour,  the  Eriniouaj,  the  Kassoua- 
kouetons,  and  the  Pouutouatami."  He/e  is  found  the  first 
mention  of  the  Dakotas,  under  a  form  of  the  name  from 
which  originated  their  modern  a])pellation  of  Sioux. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  death  of  Champlain.  on  the  Christ- 
mas day  after  Nicolet's  return  home,  the  world  might  have 
been  favored  with  a  full  report  of  the  expedition  of  1534-3.'): 
for  this  indefatigable  man.  equally  apt  as  draughtsman,  map- 
maker  and  author,  would  doubtless  have  published  the  infor- 
mation. As  it  was,  the  results  r''  this  journey  were  not 
representea  in  the  cartography  of  tlie  day.  and  nearly  a  gen- 
eration more  passed  awav  before  a  clear  idea  was  obtainable 
as  to  where  the  savages  enumerated  by  Nicolet  really  lived. 
But  though  this  journey  and  its  resulting  information  made 
so  little  impression  on  the  wT^rld  at  large,  the  Jesuits  of 
Canada   bore   them   in   mind;  for  Father  le  Jeune,  already 


THK    FUKN(  II    ACCOUNTS.  4.' 

fiuoted.  \viitiri<;  five  y<>ars  later.  Jiftor  <'xpressing  tho 
opinion  that  a  pas.sa<?<'  niij^ht  tx;  found  h/  tho  second  groat 
ialce  of  tho  Hui'ons  ((ii'coii  liayj  and  tiio  tr-ihcs  named,  to  a 
certain  sea  already  tallced  al)ou1.  continues  as  follows: 
'•Sieur  Nicolol.  who  has  penetrated  the  fai-fhest  in  those 
very  distant  countries.  Juis  assured  mo  thai  if  he  had  sailed 
thro«»  days  fai'thor  on  a  groat  river  which  leaxcs  this  lake  he 
would  have  foimd  llio  sea.  Now  T  strongly  conjecture  tliat 
this  is  the  sea  which  loads  to  the  north  of  New  Mexico,  and 
that  from  this  sea  one  might  have  access  towai'ds  Japan  or 
China:  nevertheless,  as  it  is  not  Icnown  whither  this  great 
lake  or  fresh  sea  tends,  it  would  be  a  noble  entei-prise  to  go 
to  discover  th(\se  regions.  Our  fathers  who  are  among  th<' 
Hurons.  having  been  invited  Ijy  some  Algoncjuins.  are  just 
about  turning  their  attention  to  the.so  people  of  the  other 
s«'a,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  above;  perhaps  this  voyage  will 
be  roserv(Kl  for  one  of  us  who  liavo  some;  sliglit  knowledge 
of  tho  Algoncpiin." 

A  few  words  concerning  the  farthest  ])oint  Wf.'st  reached 
l>y  Nicolot  are  now  necessary.  On  tho  strength  of  the  literal 
exactness  of  tho  "  three  days  farther"  distance  to  the  "sea,"" 
i-oportod  by  the  Jesuit  writer,  tho  theory  has  been  advanced 
that  by  the  latter  expression  the  Mississippi  river  should 
bo  understood,  and  that  Nicolot  came  within  three  days" 
journey  of  it  by  dosco  idiug  the.  Wisconsin.  But  seeing  that 
the  entire  length  of  the  latter  river  below  tho  portage  from 
the  Fox  is  no  more  than  can  be  traveled  in  three  days,  this 
position  is  not  tenable.  A  second  view  is  that  he  went  to  the 
said  portage  and  no  farther.  A  third,  and  tho  present  gen- 
erally accepted  opinion  is,  that  ho  went  only  as  far  as  the 
village  of  tho  Maskoutens.  which  was  situated  on  tho  P"'ox 


46  THK    MISSISSII'I'I     KIVKIi    AM)    ITS    SOlJUCH. 

I'ivor,  about   liult'  way   h»'t\v<'<'ii  tlic  pn-sfnt  Wiiin«'l)a^''(»  hiko 
and  thn  porlajr*'.' 

In  supporl  of  this  idt'a  it  is  siip[)()so(l  that  the  Ivasa- 
ouakountons  ol'  Nicolot  won*  tho  MaskouUuis-  whom  h«'  dofs 
not  iiumtion  but  this  is  not  tho  <-as«'.  Those  first  nam<'(l 
))oopl»>  wore  th<!  Nasaouakouetons,  Nassauakuotons.  or 
Onnasacootois,  a  ti-ibe  livinji;  beyond  Gn^ei)  liay.  towai-ds 
Mackinaw.  Xicoh.'t  could  not  hav«i  visited  the  Maskoutens 
on  Fox  river,  b(K'auso  th(\y  wore  not  there  at  tho  time  of  liis 
journey,  ft  was  som(^  twelve  or  fifteen  years  latei-  that  the 
irrosistibh;  assaults  of  the  Iro([uois  on  th<'ir  red  ene^mii's 
caused  a  western  tlif^lit  of  iha  Alj^oufjuin  nations,  which 
made  tho  Nation  of  Fin;  or  Maskoutens  -who  were  of  that 
stock — to  mi;|?rate.  too.  There  is.  indeed,  nothinj^  tc  show 
that  Nicolet  went  beyond  the  immediate  noighboi-hood  of 
the  head  of  (Ireen  Bay,  where  the  VVinnebagoes  had  lived 
from  an  unknown  time.  Had  he  done  so.  his  Jesuit eulo;[?ist. 
keen  for  geo^JCi'iipliical  information,  would  have  known  it. 
and  would  not.  it  may  Ix;  well  suppos(!d.  liave  left  tho  fact 
unrecorded . 

Throe  <.^reat  strides  fi-om  the  Atlanti(;  Ocean  towards  the 
Mississippi  had  now  V)een  made  in  succession,  of  nine,  eig-ht 
and  seven  de<^roes  of  lon<i:itudo.  respectively,  viz. :  By  Car- 
tier  to  Monti'oal,  by  Champlain  and  his  friends  thence  to  the 
Georgian  bay.  and  by  Nicolet  b(!yond  that  to  the  country  of 
tho  Winnebagoes.  but  no  mention  yet  of  the  large  river  in 
the  interior  rnnnin«^  southward  throuj^h  the  Indian  nation 
livin<^  on  its  upper  v.'aters.  had  come  to  light.  Only  about 
three  degrees  intervened  Vjotweon  the  discoveries  of  this 
last  explorer  and  the  immediate  valley  of  the  river  itself, 

IKor  <li<i'ns'ii(iii  nf  I  tiis  Doiiil,  sec  fool -m if c  f.'i  tMirr  on. 


TIIK    KUKNCH    ACCOUNTS.  47 

and  within  a  quartor  of  a  contury  F.t'nchnuMi  crossed   that 
.s])ac«',  too. 

Tho  socond  nn'ntioii  of  tin*  Dakotas,  the  nativ»>  lords  of 
tho  upper  Mississippi,  is  hy  i<'alh<'r  liay:id)aiiit  mihI  .Io«^u«»s. 
who  mado  a  visit  of  mis^ionaiy  iiupiiry  to  tlic  Snuii  of  [jjiKf 
Superior  in  ItlH.  Tlicrt!  they  wci'c  told  of  a  j^i'cat  nuinbfr 
of  sedciiitaiy  pcoijle  who  liad  never  Ivuown  Kiiropeans  and 
novel' heard  of  (iod.  anionic  others  of  a  certain  nation  of 
Nadouessis.  situated  nortiiwest  or  west  of  the  Smi/f,  eii^hteei. 
(hiys  journey  fai'ther  on.  'Tlie  first  nine  arf;  made  throu^'h  a 
<^reat  lake  whicli  be«(^ins  ai)ove  the  Smilt.  The  last  nine  one 
must  ascend  a  river  which  ])enet rates  Ijack  in  the  country. 
Their  towns  ar<!  lar^e  and  well  defended  by  reason  of  tho 
continued  wars    had  with    the    Kii-istinons.    Irinions."    etc,  • 

To  retuiMi  now  to  the  direct  (piestion  of  tiie  Mississippi 
I'iver.  M.  Chouart  des  Gro.seilliers  and  P  ei  r<'  Ks])i'it  de 
Kadiss(Mi  wei-e  two  Frenchmen  who  emi«^rated  o  Canada  in 
the  tirst  half  of  the  seventeentli  century,  and.  besides  b(!in<j: 
(connected  by  marriage,  were  such  firm  friends  and  so  con 
•genial  in  their  taste  for  travellinj^  and  tradinj^'  amon<?  tho 
"wild  men."  that  they  spent  more  than  twenty  year? 
together  in  that  manner  of  life.  Until  the  publication  of 
the  Radisson  MSS.  the  only  extant  cont(Mn[)orary  knowl- 
edge of  the  discoveries  of  these  men  in  tlie  northwest  wa? 
the  incidental  mention  of  tliem  (if  the  two  y(jung  French- 
men alluded  to  be  they)  in  th«;   Utlutions   referred    to,  and 


1  (HrUittnn  i)f  1()4','.)  Tlii'  Inirncdiiilc  i-miiitpy  of  tlit>  Sioux  of  tlir  LaKcs.  wlir  woro. 
;il)|);iifiii  ly,  tliu  Indians  llit-.t'  piicsts  rcfiTiiMl  ti;  Iktin  was  the  i(.';;ion  ol  tin;  liCpiM' 
Mississippi,  and  of  tin?  luiadwalcrs  of  tin-  .St,.  Croix  an(J  St.  Loui)-  livers.  It  l^  not 
likfl.v,  however,  that  any  of  tlu'ir  towns  were  situated  on  of  rieai  tr  Lal<i' 
Superior,  nor,  uerliaus,  vei-.y  ne:ir  the  sources  ol  the  Mississii)pi:  for  the  Christmos 
anil  tlie  Assinihoins,  who  weit;  their  enemies,  lived  t>;  the  northward  t>r  the 
Dalvotas. 


■in  'I'm-:  Mississii  iM  ui\KU  and  its  S()UU(;k. 

t\\i>  «>nti-i<'s   ill  the  .)(iiirnul  ol   tin-  Jesuits,  kopt  at  Qm-hrc, 
ill  wliicli  l.'ittcr  (irusniHujrs  is  nifiitioiMMl  by  nunio.' 

Thos«!  fiitrics,  or  nikIi  portions  of  tlu'in  as  aro  of  ^«'')- 
ji^raphical  si^'iiilii  aiic*'.  loi-  thr  in-csont  imrjjosc.  b«'in^  somo- 
what  jilaiiily  translated,  are  coiulenscd.  ])arai)li rased.  *"' 
transci'ib.'d  :is  follows  : 

1.  Ill  tln'  Hihiildii  of  1()."|.  it  is  stated  that  tidinj^s  wfM'e 
beiii^  rec(,'i\-e(l  almost  every  day  (^oncerniii','"  the  di.scovory 
of  new  nations  s|»eakin«^  th(i  Al";onf|uin  lan^'uaj^e.  On«! 
Iath<'r  said  that  in  the  islands  of  the  lake  of  the  (Ims  di 
Ml  r,  (Ghmmi  Bay.) whom  some  iin|)i'<)|»orly  (!alU)d  the  Puants. 
thoro  were  many  ti  ib(,'s  whos(3  lanj^uaj^e  Imd  a  ^r«?at  affinity 
to  the  AI«^onfiiiin;  and  that  it  was  only  a  nine  days  journey 
fr<jm  this  <^r«'at  hike  to  the  sea  which  se])arated  Araoric-a 
from  China. 

2.  "The  sixth  day  of  Aii<,'ust  of  the  year  lt)rj4.  two 
young  Frenchmen,  full  of  coura<i'e.  liavin^'  )'<!ceived  per 
mission  from  tlie  Governor  of  the  country  to  (.'mbark  with 
some  of  th<!  tribes  who  had  arrived  at  our  French  .settle 
ment.  made  a  voya<j:e  of  mor<!  than  TjOO  hiajfues  under  tlie 
leathirship  of  these  Argonauts,  convt>yed,  not  in  great 
galleons  noi-  raiiiberges,  but  in  little  gondolas  of  bark. 
Tliese  two  })ilgrims  (fxi)ected  surely  to  return  in  the  spring 
of  lOri.'i.  but  t!ies(!   ti'ibes  did  not  bring  them   Vxick  t  11  the 

1  ForsDiiic  nsiMiii  ilic  cdiloi-N  of  tlw  Udniiimx  Icfl  out  of  tl  '  -c  ■  ompiliitlons  the 
n:ttiH!S  of  o«!rt,iiiii  f\i)lorcrs.  tli()ii;;li  tlioy  iisikI  ori|ii<>lc(l  tli»;ir  wnrk.  It  liiis  iH-crj 
iM'tiiiirkcd  liyllK'  hlslurlMii.  !';irktiian.  tluit  not  tli«!  siijrhtcsl  icftTciicc  Is  iniiilc  lir 
tlif-i»:  iitinaLs  U>  \.,i  S:illi',  :i  rii,ui  who  had  hccuiiut  well  Unowri  to  t  lit:  it u I  hnritics  of 
<  ii Hilda,  lay  and  I'lcrlcal.  lon'_'  licfonMhc  dl^cunt  iniiat  Ion  of  said  i)iihlic;it  ion.  Thf 
-liidicd  silitii-c,  In  tills  r>".i;ird.  of  IIk;  tnft  hodical  ./isiiits.  is  mow  i'f;;ri'tabli' 
riirir  .louiTial.  on  the  olhcf  liMnd.docs  not  sccrii  to  liavii  Ix'Cii  intcndfd  fol'  tin- 
•  ditloation  of  the  pnlilic  and  thf  name  of  rtrosclllicrs  is  four  tinics  rncntioncd  in 
it.  It;nllsson.  the  yonn;;fr  man.  do«!s  not  apjx'ar  byname  li>  any  of  the  histories 
iif  tilt)  timo,  till  mcntlont-d  In  conni'i'tloii  with  his  broiher-ln-law,  whfti  lh«!  two. 
s'lirjf  years  latff  than  these  upper  <!r)uiitry  voya^'os,  were  In  the  I<;n};lish  Interests 
in  connection  witli  Hudson's  Hay  trade. 


THK    I'UKNCJI    ACCOUNTS.  49 

end  of  the  month  of  A  j^iist  of  this  yoar,  lO.'Ct.  ***»♦♦ 
111  Hh'  thii'd  pla(<!  thoro  hav«i  boon  pointJ'd  oiil  to  us  many 
nations  in  tho  n«'i^hl>orhoo(l  of  th«'  nation  ih-  Mi  r.  caUod  by 
somo  tho  Puants,  by  roason  that  thoy  formerly  livod  on  tho 
lianks  of  the  soa  that  they  t;all  Ounipoj,'.  that  is  to  say, 
stinking  water.  Tho  Linouck.  who  arc  noi^rlibors  to  thorn, 
aro  about  sixty  viilaj^os.  Tho  Nadouosiout-k  havo  fully 
forty.  The  Fonarok  have  at  loast  thirty.  The  Kiristinons 
(•xcol  them  all  in  oxt<;nt,  th(!y  roach  as  far  as  th<»  sea  of  tho 
N«jrth.  Tho  country  of  the  Hurons.  which  liad  only  seven- 
teen  villages  in  tho  extent  of  seventeen  leaj;uos,  or  then*- 
abouts,  maintained  fully  thirty  thousand  |)(!rsons,  A 
Frenchman'  told  mo  formerly  thai  he  had  soon  about  three 
thousand  men  in  an  assembly  which  was  held  for  troatin;^ 
of  peace,   in  tho  country  of  tho  Gins  de  Mcr."" 

ii.  "But  hardly  had  1  arrived  at  Quebec  when  1  mot  two 
Frenchmen  who  had  just  arrived  from  those?  upjM'r  coun- 
tries with  three  hundred  Al^onquins,  in  sixty  canoes  loaded 
with  furs.  Hero  is  what  thoy  liave  seen  with  their  own 
eyes,  which  represents  the  condition  of  tho  Algonriuins  of 
the  west,  having  hitherto  spoken  of  those  of  tlu;  north. 
They  wintered  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Superior.  *  *  ♦  * 
Our  two  PVenchmen,  during  their  wintering^,  made  various 
excursions  to  the  surrounding  tribes;  th(?y  saw  amongst 
other  things,  at  six  days'  journey  bayond  the  lake,  towards 
tho  southwest,  a  i)oople  composed  of  the  remains  of  the 
Hurons  of  the  Nation  of  Tobacco,  forced  by  the  Iroquois  to 
abandon  their  country,  and  to  bury  themselves  so  far  in  the 
forest  that  they  could  not  be  found  Ijy  their  enemies.     These 


/ 


1  Supposed  by  Mr.  Itiilturtickl.  ifi  his  lift- of  tliiil,  cxplnrtT,  to  hjive  l)(;«rn  Nleolet. 

2  Hrlation  of  \m' . 

-4 


50  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER  AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

poor  people,  fleeing  and  making  their  way  o^'er  mountains 
and  rocks,  across  great  unknown  woods,  happily  met  with  a 
fine  river,  wide,  deep  and  comparable,  so  they  say,  to  our 
great  river  St.  Lawrence. '  They  found  on  this  river  the 
great  nation  of  the  Alinouec,  who  rec^^ived  them  very  well. 
This  nation  is  composed  of  sixty  villages,  which  confirms  us 
in  the  knowledge  we  already  had  of  there  being  many  thou- 
sands of  persons  filling  all  these  lands  of  the  west.  Let  us 
return  to  our  two  Frenchmen:  Continuing  their  tour,  they 
were  much  surprised  when  visiting  the  Nadouechiouec. 
*****  Qyj,  Frenchmen  have  visited  the  forty  towns 
of  which  this  nation  is  composed,  in  five  of  which  are  counted 
as  many  as  five  thousand  men."  In  a  succeeding  chapter, 
referring  to  the  opening  for  further  missions, — "Secondly, 
to  the  south,  inclining  towards  the  west,  the  nation  of 
Tobacco  have  deputed  one  of  their  chiefs,  who  is  here  ready 
to  lead  some  Frenchmen,  the  next  spring,  for  sixty  leagues 
beyond  the  lake  of  the  maritime  people,  where  his  tribes- 
men having  fled  believe  themselves  in  security,  as  being  in 
the  center  of  many  Algonquin  nations,  sedentary  from  time 
immemorial;  but  the  way  thither  is  not  safe.     Thirdly,  to 


1  The  Huron  settlements  of  Georgian  Bay  were  warred  upon  ferociously  by  the 
Iroquois  in  1648  and  1649,  and,  together  with  the  missions  of  the  Jesuits  there, 
totally  ruined.  The  shepherds  were  smitten  and  the  sheep  scattered.  One  of  the 
Fatliers  says  that  of  the  thirty  or  forty  thousand  Hurons  living  there,  the  enemy 
killed  and  burned  but  the  smaller  part;  tliat  famine,  wliicli  follows  war,  attacked 
them  still  more  roughly;  and  that  the  remainder  who  could  escape,  drifted  away 
on  all  sides  like  a  defeated  an.iy  pursued  by  the  conqueror.  Their  relatives  tlie 
Petuns  (or  Tobacco  nation),  had  soon  to  fly,  too,  and  they,  going  westward,  were 
joined  by  the  Ottawas  at  MissiUmakiwjk .  By  circuitous  ways  they  appear  to  have 
arrived  at  the  Mississippi,  which  they  ascended  after  a  time  as  far  as  the  islands 
lying  between  Red  Wing  and  Hastings.  Minnesota,  on  one  of  which  they  lived  until, 
having  become  embroiled  with  the  Siuux.  they  fled  to  tlie  Black  River;  and  at  last, 
though  temporarily  separated,  both  tribes  brought  up  at  La  Pointe  on  Lake  Supe- 
rior, where  after  a  time  they  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  mission.  Thus  history  began 
in  t'.j  upper  Mississippi  valley,  in  the  wilddle  of  tlie  seventeenth  century  with  this 
Invasion  of  the  territory  of  the  Dakotas  by  foreign  tribes— history,  curiously 
enough,  preceding  discovery  there. 


THE   FRENCH   ACCOUNTS.  yl 

the  west,  a  great  nation  of  forty  towns  called  Nadouechiouec 
awaits  us  since  the  alliance  just  recently  made  with  the  two 
Frenchmen  who  returned  from  the:n  this  summer,  "i 

4.     The  Outaouat  arrived  at  Three  Rivers  August  24,  1660. 
"  They  were  to  the  number  of  three  hundred.     Des  Groseil- 
liers   was  along  with  them,  who  had  gone  there  the  year 
I  before.    They  left  Lake  Superior  in  one  hundred  canoes, 
[forty  returned  on  the  way  and  sixty  arrived  here  loaded  with 
'  furs.    *    *    *    *    Tjjgy  ^^^^  ^j.^^  ^j^^^^  .^  twenty- six  days, 
and  were  two  months  in  ascending.     Des  Groseilliers  win- 
tered with  the  nation  of  the  Bceuf,    which  he  considers  to  be 
four  thousand  men.     They  belong  to  the  sedentary  Nadoues- 
seronons."" 

Turning  now  to  Radisson's  own  account  of  his  third 
and  fourth  voyages— the  first  made  in  company  with 
Groseilliers—  the  results  of  the  journeys  can  be  con- 
cisely stated.  They  went  by  the  usual  way  of  the  Ottawa 
river  and  Lake  Huron  to  the  islands  near  the  mouth  of 
Green  Bay,  where,  on  one  of  them,  they  were  the  guests 
of  fugitive  Hurons  and  Ottawas.  While  there  they  vis- 
ited the  Pottawattamies  and,  through  them,  made  the 
acquaintance,  in  the  spring,  of  another  nation  called  Es- 
cotecke,  signifying  Fire.  They  extended  their  peregrina- 
tions to  the  southern  part  of  a  large  lake,  (doubtless 
Michigan),  and  to  what  was  evidently  the  country  of  the 
IHinois  and  neighboring  nations.  The  Nadouesserons, 
however,  being  farther  to     the  north,  were  not  seen  by 

1  Relation  of  1660. 

2  (Journal  of  the  Jesuits.)  The  Jesuit  writers  quoted  do  not  seem  to  have  had  a 
very  clear  notion  of  the  geographical  facts  learned  during  the  first  and  second 
voyages  of  Groseilliers  and  Radisson.  nvjr  to  have  credited  these  men  personally 
with  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  river;  but  that  may  have  arisen  from  the 
agreed  upon  reticence  of  the  travelers  themselves,  as  mentioned  farther  on. 


52  THE  MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

them  on  this  first  journey.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
narrative  of  events,  related  in  a  manner  very  discourag- 
ing to  the  modern  reader,  Radisson  gives  an  interesting 
though  too  concise  and  not  over  clear  geographical 
summary  of  their  wanderings   in  these  words: 

"We  weare  4  moneths  in  our  voyage  without  doeing 
anything  but  goe  from  river  to  river.  We  mett  severall  sorts 
of  people.  We  conversed  with  them,  being  long  time 
in  alliance  with  them.  By  the  persuasion  of  som  of 
them,  we  went  into  ye  great  river  that  divides  itself 
in  2,  *  where  the  hurrons  with  some  Ottanake  &  the 
wild  men  that  had  warrs  with  them  had  retired.  There 
is  not  great  difference  in  their  language  as  we  weare 
told.  This  nation  have  warrs  against  those  of  forked 
river.2  It  is  so  called  because  it  has  2  branches,  the 
one  towards  the  west,  the  other  towards  the  south 
wch  we  believe  run  us  towards  Mexico,  by  the  tokens 
they  gave  us.  Being  among  these  people,  they  told  us 
the  prisoners  they  take  tells  them  that  they  have  warrs 
against  a  nation,  against  men  that  build  great  cabbans 
&    have     great    beards,     &      had     such     knives   as  we 


iThis  could  only  have  been  the  Mississippi,  seeing  that  that  river,  as  shown  In  a 
previous  note,  was  the  one  whither  the  Hurons  and  Ottawas  fled:  but  why  it  is 
called  The  River  that  Divides  itSclf  in  Two  is  a  matter  for  conjecture.  Possibly 
the  division  was  transverse,  ani'  th'>  falls  of  St.  Anthony  the  solution  of  the  enigma. 
Or  it  may  be  that  the  name  canie  from  the  luct  that  the  waters  of  the  upper  Mis- 
i^issippi  and  those  of  the  Missouri  flow  side  by  side,  but  without  uniting  for  many 
miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  latter.  Or.  to  go  still  farther  down  the  river,  a  third 
explanation  can  be  ventured.  In  olden  times  the  Indians  con.sidered  that  the  river 
divided  itself  In  its  lower  part  and  made  a  sort  of  island,  which  stretched  from  the 
Yazoo  pass  of  to-day  on  the  north  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  that  name  on 
the  south.  The  western  boundary  of  this  island  was  formed  by  the  Mississippi  as 
we  understand  it  now;  its  eastern  by  various  interior  bayous  and  watercourses, 
which  were  connected  in  such  a  way  as  to  admit  of  navigation.  The  second 
theory,  however,  seems  to  me  to  be  the  true  one. 

2  The  Forked  river  here  mentioned  must  also,  from  Its  very  definition,  be  taken 
for  the  Mississippi;  the  name  having  reference  to  its  bi-furcation  at  the  moutli  of 
the  Mis.sourl. 


THK    FUENCH    ACCOUNTS.  58 

have   had.       Moreover     thfy   shewed     a   Decad   of     beads 
and    guilded     pearls,     that    they    have     had    from     that 
people,    wch   made     us  believe     they    weare    Europeans. 
*****     We   weare   informed  of  that   nation   that 
live  in  the  other  river.      These  weare   men   of    extraor- 
dinary   height    and    biggnesse, '     that    made     us    believe 
they  had    no   communication  with  them.     They  live  onely 
on  Corn    &  CitruUes   wch   are  mighty   bigg.      They  have 
tish  in  plenty  throughout  ye  year,"   etc. 
j    Radisson   had  heard  similar  stories  a  few  years  before, 
when  with   the  Iroquois,    from  a  traveled  chief    of  that 
nation,    who   told   him   of     his   adventures,    and   what  big 
people  he  saw  whilst  on  a  three   years"   journey  with  a 
war  party  of  thirteen  men,    "in  ye  upper  Country  of  the 
Iroquoits  neere  the  great  river  that  divides  itself  in  two." 
When    they    returned    home  the  two   travelers   agreed 
not  to  tell  what  they    had  seen,    because    they  had  not 
yet  made  a    "full    and    whole  discovery"    by    personally 
visiting  the  bay  of  the  North,  (Hudson's.)     Nevertheless, 
Radisson   thought    that   through    his    partner's   family   in 
some  way  an  inkling  of  their  doings   and  further  plans 
must  have   leaked  out,  as   the  Jesuit  Fathers  wanted   to 
find  out  from    them  how   the  beaver  might    be  brought 
down  from    the  bay    of  the    North,    and  wished  him  to 
engage  in  that  voyage    so  that  Groseilliers    might  give 
up  his  own — Des  Groseilliers  had  been  with  these    mis- 
sionaries  in  the  Huron  country   in  former  years — but  the 
two  would  make    no    arrangement    with   them.      Neither 


1  The  Osages,  before  they  were  driven  into  the  interior  of  tlie  country  by  their 
enemies,  were  inhabitants  of  the  lower  Missouri,  and  may  possibly  have  been  the 
big  pople  referred  toabove,  judging  by  what  travelers  have  said  about  their 
larse  proportions. 


54  THK    MISSISSIPPI    UI VEK   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

would  thoy  listen  to  the  avaricious  proposal  of  the  gov- 
ernor of  Three  Rivers,  and  preferred  to  go  entirely  un- 
trammelled. They  left  the  town  in  the  night  time, 
overtaking  the  Saulteur  Indians  who  had  come  down  in 
August  and  were  awaiting  them  above  in  the  river. 
This  second  xoyage  was  mostly  to  Lake  Superior  and 
to  the  regions  north  of  it,  as  contemplated.  Following  the 
south  coast  they  reached  Chagouamigon  bay,  where  they 
halted  and  selected  a  site  for  winter  quarters.  In  a 
short  time  they  left  there  and  went  back  into  the  country 
several  days'  journey  to  a  lake  where  there  was  a  native 
village.  Snow  beginning  to  fall,  they  all  separated  to 
hunt,  a  rendezvous  having  been  appointed  at  which  the 
various  tribes  were  to  meet  the  Frenchmen  in  two  and  a  half 
moons.  The  place  was  a  small  lake  upon  the  lands  of 
the  Nadouesseronons.  Embassadors  from  that  nation, 
"which  we  will  call  the  nation  of  the  beefe,"  came  to 
see  our  travellers.  When  the  time  had  come  they  re- 
paired to  the  appointed  place,  and  in  three  days  eighteen 
nations  had  arrived  on  the  ground.  A  fort  was  built 
in  case  of  possible  attacks  from  the  Christinos,  and  a 
place  near  by  cleared  off  for  an  assembly  ground.  The 
time  was  spent  in  councils,  feastings  and  games.  The 
"feast  of  the  dead"  was  what  they  had  been  summoned 
to,  and  fourteen  days  in  all  were  occupied  with  it. 
When  the  ceremonies  and  festivities  were  over  every 
one  returned  to  his  own  country.  Keeping  their  word, 
the  two  Frenchmen  went  to  visit  the  ' '  nation  of  the 
beefe,"  seven  small  days'  journey  from  the  general  ren- 
dezvous. They  found  themselves  in  a  town  where  were 
great  cabins  mostly  covered  with  skins   and  close  mats, 


THE   FRENCH   ACCOUNTS,  55 

and  were  told  there  were  7.000  men  there.  There  was 
no  wood  there  and  moss  was  ustd  for  fuel.  These  people 
were  doubtless  the  sedentary  Tatanga,  [buffalo.  ]  included 
in  the  list  of  nations  Radisson  gives  at  the  end  of  his 
account  of  the  two  voyages.  If,  as  is  possible,  the 
Tatanga,  or  Bieuf,  were  the  tribe  called  in  more  recent 
times  the  Titonwans,  and  Groseilliers  and  Kadisson  vis- 
ited them  in  their  western  home,  these  two  Frenchmen 
must  have  personally  seen  and  crossed  the  Mississippi 
river,  whether  they  did  so  on  their  previous  voyage  or 
not ;  still  they  make  no   mention  of  it  on  this  occasion. 

There  is  yet  another  kind  of  evidence  that  they  saw  the 
Mississippi,  which  may  be  deduced  from  the  language 
used  by  Radisson,  immediately  after  mentioning  the  fact 
that  there  was  no  wood  for  fuel  in  the  country  of  the 
people  of  the  Beefe.     His  words  are: 

"They  sow  corne  but  their  harvest  is  small.  The  soyle 
is  good,  but  the  cold  hinders  it,  and  ye  graine  is  very 
small.  In  their  countrey  are  mines  of  copper,  of  pewter, 
and  of  ledd.  There  are  mountains  covered  with  a  kind 
of  Stone  that  is  transparent  and  tender,  and  like  to  that 
of  Venice.  The  people  stay  not  there  all  ye  yeare;  they 
retire  in  winter  towards  the  woods  of  the  North,  where 
they  kill  a  quantity  of  Castors." 

From  this  general  description,  which  intimates  an  exten- 
sion of  the  country  of  the  Beefe  as  far  as  eastern  Iowa,  it 
is  possible  that  this  nation  was  the  one  afterwards  known 
to  other  Frenchmen  as  the  "Otoutanta  or  Mascoutens  Nad- 
ouessioux,"  Sioux  of  the  Prairies;  to  reach  whom  one  might 
ascend  either  the  Minnesota  or   tne  Des  Moines  river  i. 


1.    Notwithstanding  the  narratives  of  Radisson  are  very  insufficient  as  regards 
facts  of  time  and  space,  and  consequently  forbid  decided  opinions  as  to  his  routes 


56  THK    MISSISSIIM'l    UIVEU    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

But  viij^ue  and  elliptical  in  (lescrii)tion  as  is  the  ffeo- 
graphy  of  these  two  voyages,  here  given  by  Radisson. 
the  chronology  is  yet  worse,  indeed  may  be  said  to  have 
no  existence.  Commentators  on  these  writings  make  the 
year  in  which  the  travelers  set  out  on  their  first  joint  voy- 
age to  be  1058,  presumably  because  the  author,  in  account- 
ing for  his  actions  the  preceeding  year  when  he  was  con- 
templating a  journey  to  the  Iroquis  country,  incidentally 
gave  a  date  for  the  time  of  the  departure — "which  was 
to  be  in  June,  1657" — although  from  that  place  on  in  the 
book  the  reader  finds  no  further  mention  of  a  calendar 
year  again,  only  the  succession  of  the  seasons.  Were 
nothing  else  than  his  narrative  to  be  taken  into  account 
there  would  be  no  excuse  for  refusing  to  give  credence 
to  this  direct  deduction;    but  there  is  exterior  evidence  as 


of  travel,  yet  two  assumptions  may  be  ventured  upon  by  wiiy  of  working  liypothi- 
ses.    They  are: 

1st.  That  the  place  of  rendezvous  was  somewhere  between  Kettle  and  Snake 
rivers  In  eastern  Mituiesota;  and 

2nd.  That  the  "nation  of  tlie  beefe"  were  no  other  than  the  modern  Titonwaiis 
or  people  of  the  "village  of  tlio  prairie."  (as  suggested  in  the  text.)  wlio.  in  tlie  sev- 
enteenth century  lived  in  the  neijiliborliood  of  Big  Stone  and  Traverse  lakes.  Tlie 
philology  of  this  theory  may  appear  somewhat  forced,  .seeing  tliat  Tatanga  (buffa- 
lo) and  Tlntah  (prairie)  are  not  much  alike  in  sound  and  entirely  distinct  in  sig- 
nification; l)i't  when  one  takes  into  account  the  fact  tliat  the  strength  and  prol)- 
able  location  of  the  Tatanga  of  Kadisson  and  those  of  tlie  Tintons  of  the  early 
French  maps  are  much  alike,  it  may  not  lie  a  wild  conclusion.  In  addition,  it  may 
be  stated  that  tlie  name  . as  sp'jUed  by  Le  Sueur,  some  forty  years  later,  together 
with  hisdefinition  of  it.  came  very  near  to  proof  of  tribal  identity— "Tltanga-ougli- 
iatons.  Village  of  the  Great  Cabin."  No  other  French  writer  appears  to  have  used 
the  wo'rdBccu/in  connection  with  any  trilie  or  band  of  the  Dakotas,  and  it  is  barely 
possiblethat  Radisson  in  some  way  confounded  tlie  two  voi us  of  their  language. 
Another  philological  idea  can  be  brouglit  forward  in  this  connection,  which  ii  that 
tlie  root  of  the  words  Outoutanta  and  Tinton  may  be  the  same.  Kadisson  confessed 
his  total  ignorance  of  tlie  language  of  the  Nadouesseronons.  and  stated  that  he  had 
to  rely  upon  an  interpreter  In  conrersing  with  theiu;  so  he  may  have  misunder- 
stood and  unintentionally  perverted  the  name  of  their  western  brethren.  The 
"arms"  of  the  Tintons  were  not  the  butfulo.  but  the  deer.  It  certainly  does  not 
oem  very  likely  tliat  there  should  have  been  in  existence  at  the  same  time  two 
very  populous  tribes  living  in  the  same  region  and  bearing  names  enough  alike  to 
iustlfy  In  later  years  a  theory  that  they  were  one  and  the  same  people . 


THE   FRENCH    ACCOUNTS.  67 

to  time  which  should  not  be  overlooked,  though  it  would 
take  up  too  much  space  to  consider  it  here  in  detail.  It 
consists  in  the  record  to  be  found  in  the  Relationn  and 
other  books  of  certain  events,  with  their  dates,  which, 
when  compared  with  the  way  the  same  incidents  appear 
interwoven  with  the  narratives  of  Radisson  develope  irre- 
concilable chronological  differences.  It  may  be  saf'^ly 
assumed  that  the  two  young  Frenchmen  of  the  lielations 
for  1656,  1658,  and  1660.  quoted  are  the  same  in  each  case 
and  identical  with  Groseilliers  and  Radis.son.  or  at  least 
that  those  were  who  set  out  in  the  two  later  years;  in 
which  case  there  are  good  grounds  for  the  conclusion  that 
the  upper  Mississippi  river  was  first  seen  by  white  men, 
two,  if  not  four  years  earlier  than  the  date  1650,  at  pres 
ent  accepted.  Had  not  Groseilliers,  like  Joliet  at  a  later 
date,  lost  his  "book  of  annotations"  when  he  was  upset  in  i 
the  St.  Lawrence  on  his  return  from  the  second  voyage, 
we  should  probably  have  a  clear  account  of  the  time  and 
manner  of  this  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  river  by  him 
and  his  young  brother-in-law.  in  lieu  of  the  involved  and 
imperfect  narratives  of  the  latter,  who,  though  a  French- 
man, unfortunately  chose  to  write  his  book  in  English,  a 
language  which  he  did  not  understand. 

The  Jesuit  fathers  after  awhile  were  able  to  establish  mis- 
sions, more  or  less  permanent,  in  the  upper  country.  Among 
these  the  nearest  ones  to  the  Mississippi  valley  were  that  of 
St.  Esprit,  at  LaPoince  on  Lake  Superior,  and  that  of  St. 
Marc  of  the  Outagamis,  on  the  Wolf  river  to  the  westward 
of  Green  Bay,  and  that  of  St.  Jacques,  at  the  Maskoutens' 
village  on  the  Fox  river  above  Lake  Winnebago.  The  St. 
Esprit  mission  was  established  with  especial  reference  to  the 


5H  THK    MISSISSIPPI    lilVKK   AND   ITS   SOUKCE. 

Hurons  aud  Ottawas,  who,  after  having  been  expelled  from 
the  re<;ions  of  the  Mississippi  and  Black  rivers,  finally  set 
tied  on  Cha^ouamigon  bay.  The  priests  here  were  often 
visited  by  the  Illinois,  who  lived  far  to  the  south  of  them. 
and  Father  AUouez  first  made  personal  acquaintance  with 
the  Nadouessiouek  when  he  was  on  a  missionary  trip  to  the 
extreme  west  end  of  the  lake.  He  speaks  of  these  people  as 
"tribes  who  live  to  the  west  of  here,  towards  the  great  river 
called  Messipi  ;"  a  memorable  remark,  being  the  first  time 
this  Algonquin  name  of  the  river  appears  in  any  of  the  wri- 
tings of  the  French.  *  The  fathers  had  probably  heard  about 
both  the  Sioux  and  the  Mississippi  from  these  other  tribes, 
and  also  in  later  years  from  the  Maskoutens  when  they  were 
first  visited  by  Perrot  and  other  traders  in  their  stockaded 
village  on  the  upper  Fox  River.  Thus  it  was,  probabl/, 
that  from  the  time  the  • '  Great  River "  was  first  heard  of 
through  the  travels  of  Grosselliers  and  Radisson  till  1672, 
hardly  one  of  the  Relations  appeared  which  did  not  contain 
more  or  less  in  the  way  of  hearsay  information  or  conjecture 
concerning  the  Sioux  and  other  distant  tribes,  the  s  a  of  the 
West,  and  the  river  Mississippi,  the  natives  whc  iuuabited 
the  banks  of  the  latter,  and  which  sea  it  might  :;mpty  into. 
Nor  were  these  enthusiastic  priests  the  only  important 
people  to  take  an  interest  in  the  prosecution  of  voyages  of 
discovery.  Courcelle  and  Talon,  w^ho  were  respectively 
governor  and  intendant  of  Canada  between  1665  and  1672, 
sent  out  "men  of  resolution"  at  various  times,  particularly 
in  the  years  1669,  1670,  and  1671,  in  different  directions  ;  some 
to  report  on  the  copper  of  Lake  Superior ;  some  to  look  after 
the  prospects  of  a  trade  in  furs  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  slope, 

1   Relation  of  IBST. 


THE    FUKXt  H    ACCOUNTS. 


5U 


and  to  search  for  routes  thither  ;  and  still  others  towards  the 
west,  southwest,  and  south,  to  look  for  w^ays  leading  to  the 
seas  of  the  west  or  south,  or  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Talon 
in  a  letter  to  the  kin^?.  dated  October  10,  1670,  said  that  these 
men  were  to  keep  journals,  and  on  their  return  to  furnish 
written  reports  to  the  jrovernmont,  and  that  they  were  to 
take  formal  possession  of  the  country  wherever  they  went. ' 
Posterity,  however,  has  seen  but  little  of  such  ofticial  reports, 
and  still  less  of  the  jouri^a's  from  which  thoy  were  to  be 
compiled. 

Among  the  men  referred 
to,  the  most  eminent  was 
Robert  Cavelier,  afterwards 
better  known  as  the  Sieur 
de  la  Salle,  who  had  long 
thought  much  about  making 
discoveries  in  the  south- 
west. In  1669  he  obtained 
the  sanction  of  the  author- 
ities to  his  undertaking  an 
expedition  in  that  direction. 
About  the  same  time,  too, 
the  Sulpitian  priests  at 
Montreal  were  contemplat 
ing  a  similar  journey  to  find 
out  something  about  the 
SIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE.  savages  of  the  west,  with  a 

a  view  to  doing  them  good,  and  fathers  DoUier  and  Galinee 
were  selected  for  the  undertaking. 


1  Nicholas  Perrot  was  doubtless  one  of  these  men.    BaquevlUe  de  la  Potherle,  In 
bis  HiUoire  de  VAmerique  SepterUrionale  (1732),  says  of  him  :   "  Sieur  Perot  has  best 


60  THE   MISSISSIPIM    HIVEU   ANU    ITS  SOURCE. 

At  tho  instance  of  the;  ^overnmont  both  parties  were 
combined  into  one  expeditioii.  which  left  tho  settlements  in 
•Inly  for  tho  Iroquois  country  and  a  certain  river  which 
they  had  heard  of  that  they  wore  thence  to  follow  into 
unknown  regions  Unable  to  procure  giiides  among  the 
people  on  the  south  side  of  Lake  Ontario,  th«'y  went  to  its 
western  end.  expecting  to  make  another  beginning  from  that 
neighborhood;  but  the  meeting  there  with  Sieur  Joliet,  who 
had  been  looking  for  copper  at  Lake  Superior  and  who  told 
them  about  the  northern  route,  now  changed  their  plans,  at 
least  those  of  the  clergymen.  The  party  separated,  the 
priests  going  to  visit  the  mission  at  the  Sanlt  de  Ste.  Marh\ 
and  La  Salle  going,  it  is  not  known  exactly  where;  but,  as 
regards  the  discovering  of  any  great  river  these  persons 
set  out  to  find,  the  expedition  was  a  failure.  What  they 
had  in  their  minds  may  be  surmised  from  a  letter  written  by 
Patoutet  to  minister  Colbert,  shortly  before  the  close  of  the 
year  in  question,  in  which  it  was  stated  that  La  Salle  and 
Dollier  had  gone  off  to  examine  a  passage  they  expected  to 
tind  which  would  connect  with  Japan  and  China.  An  ofti 
cial  report  <if  the  voyage  made  by  governor  Courcelle  to 
Lake  Ontario  in  1671  refers  to  the  same  matter  when  it 
tells  about  two  priests  who  a  couple  of  years  before  had  set 
out  to  visit  savage  nations  living  "along  a  great  river  that 
Iroquois  called  the  Ohio,  and  the  Outaouas  the  Mississipy." 

known  these  nations;  tho  soveiiiors  general  of  Canada  always  made  use  of  hlni  in 
tlieir  plans.  His  familiarity  witii  native  languages,  las  slirewdness,  and  his  worth 
of  cliarat-'ter,  enabled  him  to  achlce  discoveries  wiiich  were  tho  ocraslon  of  M.  de 
laSalle's  malviriu:  all  those  efforts  that  have  resulted  so  favorably  forhini.  It  was 
by  his  means  LPerrot'sj  that  the  Mississippi  became  Itnown."  Tiie  fact  that  this 
man  was  not  t lie  first  to  discover  any  part  of  the  Mississippi  river,  so  far  as  now 
appears,  made  needless  any  mention  of  him  here  in  the  text,  but  he  was  too  good  a 
man  to  be  left  entirely  out  of  a  writingof  this  nature.  His  name  should  have  been 
honored  by  the  people  of  Minnesota,  like  those  of  Hennepin,  Du  Luth,  and  Le 
Sueur,  his  contemiwraries. 


THK    KKENCH    ACCOUNTS.  61 

but  had  failed  in  tht'ir  purpose  by  reason  of  unforseen  diffi- 
culties. The  writer  of  the  report  further  says  that  they 
nevertheless  ascertained  that  this  river  was  fjreater  than 
the  St.  Lawrence;  that  there  were  many  nations  on  it  i 
banks;  and  that  its  general  course  was  from  east  to  west. 
He,  therefore,  after  having  examined  all  the  maps  of 
the  Atlantic  coast  and  that  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  without 
finding  there  the  mouth  of  any  river  comparable  to  the  St. 
Lawrence,  thinks  it  must  fall  into  another  sea.  most 
probably  that  of  Nev.'  Spain.  From  the  autumn  of  1009  to 
the  summer  of  1072  nothing  certain  is  known  of  La  Salle's 
movements.  That  he  was  not  idle.  i>art  of  the  time  at  least, 
is  shown  by  Talon's  letters  to  the  King.  In  that  of  Novem- 
ber 10,  1070,  he  says  that  Courcelie  and  himself  had  sent 
La  Salle  to  look  for  an  opening  to  Mexico  by  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  the  western  lakes;  in  that  of  November  2,  1071, 
that  La  Salle  had  not  yet  returned  from  his  voyage  made  to 
the  south  of  "this  country."  Some  time  within  these  two 
years  it  was  that  La  Salle  followed  the  valley  of  the  Ohio 
River  downward  for  an  unknown  distance,  but  not  much 
farther  than  the  falls  of  Louisville  it  is  supposed.  The  only 
document  accounting  for  his  doings  during  the  blank  period 
is  not  looked  upon  with  much  confidence;  and  statements 
about  the  Ohio  falling  from  a  height  into  marshes  and 
losing  itself  there,  to  be  gathered  into  one  channel  lower 
down,  sound  more  like  the  tales  of  Indians  invented  to  dis- 
courage explorers  than  information  derived  from  an  honor- 
able and  sensible  man  such  as  La  Salle  was. 

In  spite  of  the  desire  and  intention  La  Salle  had  enter- 
tained for  years  to  make  the  discovery  of  the  lower  Mississ- 
ippi river  and  to  follow  its  current  to  the  sea,  with  a  view  to 


6:2  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVEK   AND    ITS   SOURCE 

the  territorial  aggrandizement  of  his  country,  the  establish 
ment  of  colonies,  and  the  development  of  the  resources  of 
the  country  as  well  as  the  building  up  of  his  own  fortunes, 
he  was  preceded  in  the  valley  by  Joliet.  Some  of  La  Salle's 
friends  thought  that  Joliet  had  been  pushed  forward  in  this 
way  by  intrigue.  Whether  that  were  so  or  not  the  fact  was 
that  the  king  himself,  in  the  summer  of  1672,  impressed  on 
his  minister  Colbert  the  importance  of  the  discovery  of  the 
passage  to  the  South  Sea,  desiring  a  large  reward  to  be 
offered  to  those  who  should  make  it.  Under  such  an  august 
monarch  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  steps  were  taken  in  this 
direction  sooner  than  they  otherwise  would  have  been,  and 
it  may  be  that  La  Salle  was  so  circumstanced  that  he  could 
not  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  now  afforded  him  to 
carry  into  execution  his  design  of  years,  and  that  some  one 
else  therefore  had  to  be  chosen;  but  this  is  merely  a  conjec- 
ture. What  we  actually  do  know  is  that  Governor  Frontenac, 
in  his  memoir  to  Colbert  of  Nov.  2,  1672,  says  that  "He, 
(Chevalier  de  Grandfontaine,  governor  of  Acadia  and  Pentag- 
ouet),  has  likewise  judged  it  expedient  for  the  service  to 
send  Sieur  Joliet  to  the  country  of  the  Makouteins,  to  dis- 
cover the  South  Sea,  and  the  great  river  they  call  the  Mis- 
sissipi,  which  is  supposed  to  empty  into  the  sea  of  Califor- 
nia. He  is  a  man  very  skilful  in  this  kind  of  discoveries, 
and  has  already  been  quite  near  to  this  great  river,  the 
mouth  of  which  he  promises  to  And;"  also,  that  in  a  similar 
communication  to  the  same  minister  of  Nov.  14,  167-4,  he 
says:  "Sieur  Joliet.  whom  Monsieur  Talon  advised  me,  on 
my  return  from  France,  to  dispatch  for  the  discovery  of  the 
South  Sea,  has  returned  three  months  ago,  and  discovered 
some  very  line  countries. " 


THE    FRENCH    ACCOUNTS.  68 

With  Louis  Joliet,  on  the  expedition  referred  to,  went 
Father  Jaques  Marquette,  S.  J.,  who  had  for  years  meditated 
a  voyage  to  the  nations  living  on  the  Missi^.sippi,  particu 
larly  to  the  Illinois  who  had  often  Invited  him  when  tliey 
were  visiting  the  mission  at  La  Pointe.  No  full  report  of 
the  voyage  by  the  hand  of  Joliet  is  extant,  as  he  lost  his 
box  of  papers  and  net,  ^.^  his  life  too,  in  the  rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  river  by  Montreal,  on  his  way  to  report  to  the 
governor,  (Frontenac,)  to  whom  however  he  furnished  the 
best  account  he  could  from  memory.  Father  Marquette 
never  returned  to  Canada,  It  is  to  the  narrative  of  this 
priest,  therefore,  that  the  world  has  had  to  look  for  the 
fullest  account  of  the  celebrated  voyage.  In  was  on  the  7th 
day  of  June,  1673,  that  the  party  arrived  at  Maskoutens,  the 
actual  commencement  of  their  voyage  of  discovery;  for 
Marquette  writes  thus:  "Here  is  the  limit  of  the  discoveries 
made  by  the  French,  for  they  have  not  yet  gone  in  the  slight- 
est degree  beyond  this  point . "  *     Thence    they  continued 


1  The  IcKiation  of  this  villaKe  has  been  more  of  a  puzzle  to  historians  than  It 
should  have  been.  Marquette's  placing  it  three  leagues  from  the  Wisconsin  portage 
has  led  them  astray.  Those  who  talte  his  words  literally  do  not  reflect  that  within 
so  short  a  distance  as  eijilit  and  a  quarter  miles  there  could  not  well  be  comprised 
all  the  tedious  hydrographical  features  spt)ken  of  by  the  piiest  and  other  tra  v- 
ellcrs  who  came  after  him.  Those  who  thinl<  that  thirty  leagues  was  nu>anthave 
never  produced  much.  If  anything,  in  the  way  of  proof  to  sustain  that  theory, 
which  would  imply  a  site  half  way  between  Berlin  and  Eureka,  somewhere  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  Green  Lake  County,  Wisconsin.  Those  who  believe  he 
intended  three  day' x  journey  are  the  wisest ;  for  It  is  obvious  that  Marquette  could 
only  have  obtained  his  Information  from  the  Indians  at  the  village,  who  did  not 
reckon  by  the  measures  of  white  men.  Father  Dreuillottes.  as  quoted  in  the 
Relation  of  1658,  says  that  he  made  up  his  list  of  nations  partly  from  what  two 
Frenchmen  had  told  liim  and  partly  from  Information  received  from  various 
savages.  By  thus  taking  his  facts  from  unlike  sources  he  seems  to  liave  made  two 
places  out  of  one.  In  briefly  describing  these  several  Indian  nations  he  refers 
them  geogi^phicuUy  to  the  town  of  the  Oupnuteouatamik  on  Green  Bay.  His 
third  town  was  distant  about  three  days'  journey  going  by  water,  and  was  com- 
posed of  the  Makontensak  and  Outichakouk,  (Kikabous?,)  concerning  whom  he 
adds  that—  "The  two  Frenchmen  who  have  travelled  in  this  region  say  that  these 
tribes  are  of  a  very  mild  disposition."  His  fourteenth  locality  was  thirty  strag- 
gling villages  (bourgades)  Inhabited  by  the  Atsistagheronnous  (i.  e.  the  Nation  of 


64  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER  AND  ITS   SOURCE. 

thier  ascent  of  the  Fox  river  in  a  west  southwest  direction, 
through  the  marshes,  little  lakes,  and  rice  fields,  with 
which  it  abounded,  till  they  reached  the  farther  side  of  a 
portage  of  2700  steps,  or  say  Tialf  a  league,  that  brought 
them  to  the  Miskousing  river,  now  called  Wisconsin. 
Here  their  Indian  guides  returned  home,  and  the  seven 
Frenchmen  were  left  to  prosecute  their  discoveries  alone. 
They  had  quitted  the  waters  which  were  continuous  from 
this  point  as  far  as  Quebec  four  or  five  hundred  leagues 
away,  to  take  those  which  should  lead  them  into  strange 
lands.  The  river  they  now  embarked  on  came  from  the 
northwest  and  ran  towards  the  southwest,  and  they 
followed  its  course  till  they  reached  its  mouth,  situated, 
according  to  their  observations  in  latitude  42°  30'.  Here 
they  entered  the  Mississipi  on  the  15th  day  of  June, 
Joliet  says,  but  Marquette  makes  it  the  17th.  The  latter 
here  remarks:  "The  Mississippi  river  derives  its  origin 
from  various  lakes  which  lie  in  the  country  of  the  tribes 
of  the  north*  (a  representation  of  which  lakes,  from  the 
reports  of  the  Indians  of  course  may  be  seen  on  one  of 
Joliet's  maps.) 

Fire)  situated  to  the  southwest  one  quarter  south,  six  or  seven  days  journey  olT. 
These  localities  are  doubtless  the  same  though  tlic  distances  differ.  Tlirce  days 
journey  up  the  Bay  and  tlie  Fox  river  to  reach  tlie  Masl<outeiis  would  be  entirely 
out  of  the  question,  as  that  would  scarcely  take  one  to  Lake  Winnebago;  but  the 
six  or  seven  days  a!?ree  well  with  the  statements  of  Perrot,  Allouez  and  Marquette, 
touching  the'tinie  taken  by  tliem  in  their  respective  journeys  from  the  St.  Fran- 
cois-Xavier  mission  near  the  mouth  of  tlie  river  to  the  village  in  question.  Com- 
paring the  actual  length  of  the  river  as  shown  Ijy  our  modern  surveys  with  all  the 
accessible  estimates  of  time  and  distance  of  these  early  travellers,  one  is  irresist- 
ably  drawn  to  tlie  conclusion  that  there  is  but  a  limited  tract  of  country  within 
which  to  locate  the  barbarian  settlement  visited  by  them.  The  "little  mountain" 
or  ridge  (co(eau)  on  which  it  was  situated  sliould  be  looked  for  somewhere  to  the 
east  or  south-east  of  Princeton,  about  a  league— 2=^  miles— back  from  the  river, 
which  is  the  distance  given  more  than  once  in  the  old  records. 

1.    The  first  reference,  in  detail,  concerning  the  source  of  the  Mississippi 


THE    FUENCH    ACCOUNTS.  65 

They  now  tranquilly  descended  the  river  through  a 
country  apparently  only  inhabited  by  beasts  and  birds, 
the  course  being  to  the  south  and  southeast  as  far  as  lati- 
tude 42°  where  the  face  of  the  country  changed  somewhat. 
They  had  made  more  than  sixty  leagues  (probably  to  Mus- 
catine, Iowa, )  when  the  direction  of  the  river  was  south 
and  south  southwest,  and  after  a  while  partly  southeast 
and  partly  southwest.  Having  sailed  more  than  one  hund- 
red leagues  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  they  saw. 
on  the  25th  of  Jui.e,  the  first  traces  of  human  occupancy 
in  the  shape  of  a  little  path  on  the  west  side  (at  Keokuk 
or  a  few  miles  above  it)  which  they  followed  for  two 
leagues  till  they  came  to  some  Indian  villages  on  the 
banks  of  a  stream.  This  river  was  the  Moenguena,  now 
the  Des  Moines,  and  the  people  of  the  villages  were  of 
the  Peouarea  tribe  of  the  Illinois  nation.  The  travellers 
remained  with  them  till  the  end  of  the  month  when  they 
re-embarked  on  the  Mississippi.  Farther  on  they  came 
to  the  Pekitanoui,  or  river  of  the  Missouris,  coming  from 
the  west  northwest,  where  they  saw  a  similar  sight  to 
that  which  met  the  eyes  of  Soto's  forces  at  the  place 
where  the  latter  crossed  the  river  much  lower  down.  Mar- 
quette writes: — "I  have  seen  nothing  more  frightful;  a 
tangle  of  entire  trees,  of  branches,  of  floating  islands,  is- 
sued from  the  mouth  of  the  Pekitanoui  with  so  much 
impetuosity  that  one  could  not  attempt  to  cross  it  without 
great  danger.  The  commotion  was  such  that  the  water 
was  made  all  muddy  by  it  and  could  not  clear  itself." 
The  next  river  noted  by  the  travellers  was  the  Ohio, 
which  Marquette  calls  the  Ouaboukigon,  coming  from  the 
east.     Lower  down  they  came  across  a  tribe  of  Indians  on 


66  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KiVEU    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

the  east  bank  who  seem  to  have  had  dealings  with  the  Euro- 
peans of  the  Atlantic  coast.  Finally  they  arrived  at  the 
village  of  the  Mitchigameas.  on  the  west  side,  eight  or 
ten  leagues  above  that  of  the  Akansea,  which  later  was 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  in  latitude  33°  40'  according 
to  their  reckoning,  and  opposite  a  large  stream  from  the 
west — doubtless  the  present  Arkansas  river.  Here  they 
landed  and  were  well  received.  The  travellers  held  a  pri- 
vate council  to  decide  whether  they  should  proceed  farther 
on,  or  should  content  themselves  with  the  discovery 
already  made.  After  having  carefully  considered  the  fact 
that  they  were  not  far  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  they 
erroneously  supposed;  and  that  the  Mississippi  river  un- 
doubtedly had  its  discharge  into  that  sea,  and  into  no 
other,  for  the  route  had  always  been  in  a  southern  direc- 
tion, they  resolved  to  turn  back. 

They  further  took  into  account  that  being,  as  it  were, 
at  the  gates  of  Spain,  to  proceed  beyond  the  Akansea 
would  not  only  be  to  risk  the  persona]  safety  of  them- 
selves and  their  men.  but  also  to  incur  the  danger  of 
losing  the  fruits  of  their  voyage,  which  they  would  have 
no  means  of  publishing  if  they  became  captives  in  the 
hands  of  the  Spaniards.  Still  another  possible  peril  was 
that  from  the  hostile  savages,  allies  of  the  Europeans, 
who  infested  the  lower  part  of  the  river  and  w^hose 
attacks  they  would  be  utterly  unable  to  resist.  They 
therefore  left  the  village  where  they  were  on  the  17th 
of  July,  returning  by  the  way  they  had  come,  except 
that  on  reaching  the  Illinois  river  they  ascended  it  to 
go  to  their  own  people  instead  of  keeping  on  to  the 
Wisconsin.     Though  this  voyage  was   a  mere  flying   trip, 


thp:  fkknch  accounts. 


67 


devoid  of  any  lastin«,'  consequence  in  the  way  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  missions  or  trading  posts,  it  has  yet  coine 
to    be  looked    upon    as  an    important    and    Im])orishablQ 


iPlit,  7^  ^Ja  cja.le. 


JOLIKT'S   ilAP   OK   TUK  :H1SS1SSJP1'I.      ltiT4. 

geographical  datum.     It  is  indeed  certain  that  by  it  were 
the  course  and  character  of  the  Mississippi  river  between 


t)8  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  on  the  north  and  that  of  the 
Arkansas  on  the  south  first  definitely  ascertained  and 
published ;  and,  as  it  was  from  the  latter  locality  that 
the  remains  of  Soto's  army  had  in  the  preceding  century 
descended  by  the  river  to  the  sea,  it  canre  about  that 
by  the  junction  of  the  two  explorations,  Spanish  and 
French,  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  Mississippi  river 
had  been  clearly    "discovered.'" 

With  Marquette  practically  close  the  geographical 
writings  of  the  Jesuit  fathers,  so  far  as  regards  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  home  government  of  the  day, 
siding  with  Frontenac,  it  is  supposed,  in  the  polite 
quarrel  between  him  and  the  Order,  allowed  no  further 
publication  of  Relations  after  the  one  of  1672 ;  an  act 
now  regretted  alike  by  both  Catholic  and  Protestant 
capable  of  appreciating — at  least  in  worldly  things — the 
value  to  later  generations  of  these  matter-of-fact  records. 
Translata  est  gloria  ab  Israel. 


soorvrsrdx  ftfth. 


THE  FREXC  rr  A(  (  OrXT,  C  oiitiiiued. 


LA  SALLE    ON    THE    ILLINOIS  RIVER  ;   HENNEPIN 
AND    HIS     COMPANIONS;     LA  SALLE    ON    THE^ 
MISSISSIPPI;     IBERVILLE;      SAGEAN     AND 
LE  SUEUR ;    CHARLEVILLEs    MINOR  RE- 
PORTS AS  TO  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE 
MISSISSIPPI. 


Reappearing  in  local  history  about  1G72,  La  Salle  soon 
became  a  conspicuous  figure  in  colonial  affairs.  In  1674  he 
made  a  voyage  to  Prance,  returning  to  Canada  in  1675.  In 
1676  the  building  of  the  new  Port  Frontenac  was  placed 
in  his  hands,  and  later  he  obtained  the  e  ommand  of  it.  He 
left  for  France  again  in  November,  1677,  and  returned  to 
Quebec  in  September,  1678,  bringing  with  him  a  patent  from 
the  King  authorizing  him  "to  discover  the  western  part  of 
New  France,"  and  requiring  him  to  complete  his  enterprise 
within  five  years.  He  then  went  to  Frontenac  at  last 
fully  prepared  to  make  an  actual  beginning  of  his  pro- 
jects for  western  and   southwestern  discovery  and  settle- 


70  TMK    MISSlSSllMM    KIVHli    AND    IIS   SOUKCK. 

rnetit.  Next  inonlli  h»^  scut  out  flttcen  men  with  goods, 
with  ci'ders  to  go  in  canoes  and  await  him  at  tl  o  Illinois, 
who  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mississipj)i.  Th(^y 
were  to  trade  with  the  Indians,  accumulate  provisions,  fell 
trees  for  timber  with  which  to  build  a  fort  there,  and  make 
all  other  necessary  preparations  for  settlement  and  new  dis- 
coveries. In  the  beginning  of  1(571).  he  sent  out  a  party, 
which  included  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  to  Niagara,  to  build 
a  fort  and  storehouse  there,  and  a  ship  for  the  navigation  of 
the  lakes  ahove.  When,  having  embarked  in  this  ship,  he 
arrived  at  Missilimakinak.  in  August,  he  found  that  most  of 
the  men  he  had  sent  on  ahead  the  year  before  had  betraytnl 
their  trust,  having  traded  on  their  own  account  alone,  and 
had  separated  into  smaller  parties  and  scattered,  wHhout 
making  any  attempt  to  begin  the  settlement  ordered. 
Although  he  recovered  a  portion  of  his  merchandise,  and 
arrested  some  of  the  deserters,  he  was  necessarily  much 
crippled.  Yet  he  continued  the  voyage  unhesitatingly. 
Arriving  at  the  island  of  the  Pottawattoraies,  at  the  entrance 
of  Green  Bay.  he  sent  the  ship  back  to  the  establishment  at 
the  end  of    Lake  Erie.  *  and  having  procured  canoes  with 

1  Tliis  ship,  as  is  well  known,  nevor  arrived  at  its  destination  ;  it  was  last  seen  in 
tlio  northeiii  part  of  Lake  Miehi>ran,  but  its  fate  was  never  surely  ascertained. 
La  Salle  on  liis  return  voyajie  up  tlie  Mississippi  river  in  16S2,  obtained  from  some 
tribe  a  youn^  I'ana  Indian,  who  after  a  while  learned  to  speak  French  so  as  to 
make  himself  easily  understood.  He  told  his  master  that  he  had  seen,  three  years 
l)efore,  In  the  villages  of  tlie  Emixx-)urit€«,  where  he  was  a  prisoner,  two  Frenchmen, 
who  were  all  tliat  remained  of  se\en  that  were  captured  by  tlie  Nadouessii-ux 
while  ascending  the  Mlssissipj)i  in  Ijark  canoes.  One  of  the  two  had  obtained  f?raee 
for  himself  and  survivin;^ companion  by  displaying;  and  exploding  a  grenade.  Tlie 
iie.xt  spring  they  were  taken  to  these  villages  of  the  MisxanriH  on  a  treaty  of  peace, 
and  there  they  again  astonished  the  Indians  by  flring  otf  another  grenade.  La^-alle 
felt  assured  that  the  boy  had  actually  seen  two  of  his  men;  his  words  are:  "Whom 
he  depicted  to  us  In  tuch  a  way  that  I  cannot  doubt  that  one  of  them  was  my 
pilot."  He  considered  that  the  little  savage  could  no  more  Invent  the  description 
of  the  grenade  t  lian  he  could  the  portrait  of  the  pilot,  and  thought  that  the  plan  of 
the  deserters  had  been,  after  wrecking  the  ship,  to  join  Du  Luth,  who  was  In  the 
Nadouesslcux  country,  and  to  tr.-ide  tliere;  finally,  to  save  themselves  with  the 


THK  FKKNCH  ACCOCNTS  CONTINUKD.  71 

which  to  convoy  the  party  and  all  their  imprtlhutvfa.  coastod 
ulonj^  the  wostorn  and  southei-u  sliores  of  Lak«' Mi(  hi^'an. 
until  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  tlie  Miarais,  the  St.  .Joseph  of 
to-day.  was  reached.  This  they  asc'«?nd(>d  to  the  carrying 
place  between  it  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Tealciki,  now  tho 
Kankakee.  It  was  in  December.  1070.  that  La  Salle  now 
(entered  upon  land  throujrh  which  flowed  streams  whose 
waters  ran  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  he  continued  down 
the  Kankakee  and  Illinois  rivers,  passing  the  nativo  village 
(then  temporarily  abandoned)  situated  ab(  ut  wliere  Utica 
now  is.  On  January  .",  1680.  he  arrived  at  the  camp  of  the 
Illinois  at  Pimetoui.  or  Peoria  lake,  and  here  he  lodged  with 
them,  and  soon  began  to  arrange  for  the  building  of  a  fort 
near  by.  and  for  a  ship  in  which  to  descend  the  Mississippi 
river  to  the  sea. ' 

Etiirlisli  at  llu' Bay  of  t  lit>  Norili. -.lioiild  t  lilnsia  so  wrotr.;.  Tlicy  coiilil  only  liav»» 
taken  this  route  in  soini:  by  the  irii»iun  at  tlio  hay  (.St.  Francois  Xavicri.  he  wrote. 
Th(M'elt  vanoy  of  this  note  is.  tliat  lliese  niisijuided  nu-ii,  tluis  talvinj:  t  lieit- lives  in 
their  liands.  by  startlnj;  northward  from  the  tnoiith  of  the  Wiseonsln  wlienco  Joliet 
and  Maniuette  had  started  southward  sl\  years  before,  to  some  extent  were  the 
forerunners  of  Hennepin. 

1.  There  are  reasons  for  thinkinif  that  diirini,'  tlie  time  La  Salle  was  making  his 
discoveries  referred  to  th.at  were  never  exactly  reported,  lie  had  explored  the 
Illinois  river  from  its  head,  near  the  Chiea)?o  portage,  to  the  permanent  village  of 
these  Indians  oi>posite  the  "Starved  Rock"  familiar  to  lovers  of  theromantic.  If 
this  be  so  it  fully  explains  liow  he  so  conttdently  sent  men  into  the  'vilderness  to 
prepare  for  his  e  imiiig.  and  even  how  he,  possilily,  may  have  had  this  very  emin- 
ence in  mind  as  a  fitting  site  f,.r  tlie  proposed  fort,  for  whicli  he  had  even  selected 
ii  name  In  advance—"  Fort  I>au|)hin  "—as  appears  by  his  lettei'  of  Octoi)er  31.  ItiTx. 
Circumstances  prevented    his  i.eutenant    Tonty  from  builuing  a    fort  on   "The 

Rock"   (as  the  French  called  it)    In  the  spring  of  Itlsi),    ai rding  to  orders  sent 

back  to  him  by  La  Salle  then  en  route  eastward  ;  but  witliin  three  years  It  was 
built  here,  under  the  supervision  t)f  Ixith.  T'lis  estalilisliinent  was  the  civilized 
nucleus  of  the  native  settlements  the  latter  had  long  been  endeavoring  to  gather 
around  him.  A  confirmation  of  tlie  idea  that  La  Salle  had  a  prior  knowledge  of 
the  upper  part,  at  least,  of  the  Illinois  valley  maybe  derived  from  an  incidental 
expression  to  be  found  in  a  memoir  fi'om  his  pi'u,  written  when  in  Paris  endeavor- 
ing to  Interest  men  of  position  in  his  projected  settlement  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi.  "M.deLagny  had  proposed  the  establishment  of  tliis  fort  in  Iims 
after  having  learned  its  importance  ;  after  which  Mgr.  Colbert  i)ermitted  Sieur  de 
La  Salle  to  make  it  and  gave  him  the  ownership  of  It."    La  Salle  was  a  courtier. 


72  THK    MISSISSIIMM    KIVKU    AND    ITS    SOUUCK. 

Altli()u«;li  tho  head  mt'ii  of  tin*  Illinois  Indians  hero  had 
assured  him,  on  his  tirst  arrival,  that  the  Mississippi  was 
naviprabl*'  to  the  sea,  yet  they  shortly  after  were  tampered 
with  by  an  emissary  and  then  they  endeavored  to  deter 
the  Frenchmen  by  tales  of  the  great  danj?ers  to  be 
encountered  in  the  lower  part  of  its  course.  There  were 
to  be  found  there  warlike  barbarians  who  would  slay  all 
strangers ;  th»»  water  was  full  of  serpents  and  other 
monsters  ;  falls  and  precipices  extended  for  leagues  with 
a  current  so  violent  that  no  one  could  escape  who  was 
once  drawn  in  ;  and  finally,  the  whole  river  disappeared 
in  a  great  chasm  and  ran  under  the  ground,  and  no  one 
knew  where  it  came  to  light  again.  La  Halle  refused 
to  be  swerved  from  his  purpose  by  those  frightful  accounts, 
and  went  on  with  his  work  ;  but  six  of  his  men  deserted 
him  through  fear.  Indeed,  he  did  not  believe  these  stories 
at  all,  though  he  obtained  by  stratagem  a  more  reassuring 
account  from  one  of  their  returning  war-chiefs,  which  was 
confirmed  later  by  visitors  from  the  Chicachas,  Akansas, 
and  Osages,  from  the  south.  In  his  letter  of  Sept.  28, 
1680,  he  writes  that  besides  these  tribes,  and  the  Matou- 
tantas  from  the  west,  "Others  called  Chaa  who  live  on 
the  upper  part  of  the  great  river  arrived  on  February 
24  and  invited  us  to  go  to  their  homes,  where  they  said 
■was  a  great  quantity  of  beavers  and  furs,  and  that  they 
were    not  far  from  tho   sea  of    the  West.'       One  of   the 


and  doubtless  contrived  that  these  high  otfl<'ials  sliould  bolieve  that  they  were 
riiiikiiif?  St  ril<iii^l.v  oii^riiial  su;zgesti()ns  ;  wlieo  llic  first  naiiicd  proposed  tlie  ijiiild- 
iiifj  of  a  fort  on  the  Illinois,  and  the  latter  desired  a  port  for  French  vessels  to  be 
discovered  In  the  Gulf  of  Ik'.exico. 

1  There  has  been  some  speculation  as  to  whothese  people  were.but  secinji  thatit  was 
custonuiry  then,  as  now,  to  contract  Indian  and  oilier  proper  names  for  colloquial 
purposes— as  for  instance  Nadouessioux  to  Sioux,  Pouteouatamls  to  Poux,  Osages 


THK    FKKNCH    ACCOUNTS  ('()NTINI:KI>.  78 

three  reverend  UccoiU'ct  t'jithers  who  luul  accoinpanicd  m«> 
that  far  otlV'red  himself,  with  two  of  my  bravest  men.  to 
make  this  voyaj;*'.  in  order  not  to  los«»  tiic  opportunity 
to  announct'  the  «;ospel  to  tribes  who  had  never  heard 
speak  of  it.  They  left  the  last  day  of  Februaiy  in  a 
canoe." 

This  vicari'nis  expedition  was  the  one.  so  well  known 
to  posterity,  which  enabled  Father  llenn(»pin  to  discover 
the  great  falls  of  the  Mississipj)!  river,  never  before,  it 
is  supposed,  seen  by  European  eyes.  The  books  pub 
lished  by  Hennepin,  tof^ether  with  the  reports  and  letters 
of  La  Salle  and  his  friends.  supj)lemented  by  the  paper 
of  Duluth,  are  suthciont  to  enable  a  good  account  of  the 
geographical  results  of  this  journey  to  be  compiled,  in 
spite  of  the  absence  of  journals  showing  lines  of  travel 
in  detail.  The  men  selected  to  accompany  Hennepin  were 
one  Michael  Accault  and  another  Anthony  Auguelle  nick- 
named the  Picard,  and  they  were  furnished  with  goods 
for    presents   to  the  Indians.      La  Salle  at  a  later    time 

to  Os,  Kiinsiis  to  Ivsms,  etc -the  Chaa  riuiy  havo  iMun  the  Ohaiena  of  tLo  JoUet 
iiiiip,  the  same  as  tlic  Sliyt'iiiu'M,  or  Clieyfiiru-s.  of  to-day,  who  have  gradually  heeii 
driven  to  the  west  and  southwest  of  their  fuitner  hal)itati(>iis.  Tliis  map,  entitled 
Ciiite  (lenerale  lie  hi  France  xeplrntrinnnlr,  shows  vitiUt  tril)al  names  strung  alotitrthe 
east  side  of  tlie  upper  Mississippi  al)<)ve  tlic  •"Siou"  ;  of  wliieli  names  Hianetoua  is 
lowest  down.  Chaiena  the  fifth  in  order,  and  Allnioupi^oiak  (supposed  to  l)o  the 
present  Asslniboins)  farthest  to  tlie  nortliwest.  Tliat  tlie  Chaas  were  not  )ne  of 
the  Daliota  bands  proper,  or  Nad<niessiou.\.  would  appear  probat)h!  from  tlie  fact 
that  Aceault  understood  inost  of  the  northwestern  lan^iuaRes  except  thatof  the 
SioHX;  but  as  he  was  not  going  to  them  with  Ills  party  a  knowledireof  theirlan«u- 
atie  was  not  indispensable,  as  La  .Salle  showed  when  defending  himself.  Although 
the  Sbyennes  seem  to  have  been  for  a  long  time  the  friends  and  allies  of  the 
Dakotas,  yet  modern  research  has  shown  that  pliilologieally  they  are  not  akin  to 
them  but  to  the  Algomiuins.  In  this  aspect  they  form  the  counterpart  of  the 
Asslniboins  who,  though  their  language  is  similar  to  that  of  tne  Dakotas,  to  whose 
stock  they  belong,  are  their  hereditary  enemies  and  affiliate  with  the  Algomiuln  na- 
tions instead.  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden,  in  his  Indian  tribes  of  the  Mitmouri  valleu,  (18C2.)  gives 
among  the  various  names  by  which  the  Shyennes  were  known  tliose  of  Sharas, 
Sliawhays,  and  Sharshas,  from  any  one  of  which  three  the  abbreviated  word  Chaa 
(eh  pronounced  like  sh)  might  have  been  formed. 


74  TUK    MISSISSIIMM    KIVKU    AND    ITS   SOUKCK. 

(lOH^i,  wiuMi  (li'fi'iulin;,'  hinist'lf  from  invidious  criticism, 
suys  oxpn»ssl3'  that  Im>  did  not  srnd  Accault  to  tlu'  Nadoiu's- 
Hious,  but  to  uscond  the  (ir<»at  liivoi- ;  addinjr.  to  show  the 
ominont  Htnoss  of  the  man  for  such  a  task,  that  lit'  liad 
spent  two  winters  aiul  one  siuniner  amon^  the  nations, 
whose  acfjuaintance  they  made  when  willi  the  Illinois,  and 
had  seen  several  of  the  most  important  villages  by  which 
he   was    to   pass'. 

These  thn'e  men  left  Fort  CrovecoMii"  on  llie  L'9th  of 
February.  IGhU.  in  their  loaded  canoe,  and  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  March  7th.  when^  they  had 
to  wait  tive  days  on  account  of  the  tloating  ice.  Ascend- 
ing the  Mississippi,  they  passed  on  the  left  the  river  of 
the  Outontantas.  Paoto,  and  Maskouten  Nadouessioux, 
(Sioux  of  die  Prairie.)  now  the  Des  Moines.  Somcnvhere 
above  this  stream  it  was,  between  Burlington  and  Uock 
Island  but  nearer  to  the  former,  that  they  met  witli  the 
lar^e  Sioux  war  party,  who  took  them  captive,  and  who. 
havin«?  abandoned  their  original  plan,  now  returned  home 
ward.  Next  beyond  the  Des  Moines  they  noted  on  the 
east  side  the  river  Ouisconsin.  or  Wisconsin,  also  known 
to  the  savages  as  Meschetz  Odeba.  Next  to  that  came 
the  Chabaouadeba  of  the  Nadouessioux.  otherwise  the 
Noire,  now  the  Black  river  between  La  Crosse   and  Treni- 


1.  Tills  stiili'iiR-iit.  if  tiiketi  cxai'tly.  is  worthy  of  notlL-i".  Srt'iii};  tluif  less  than 
two  months  elapx'd  fioui  Ihc  tliiu.' L:i  Siillf's  party  aitivcd  aiiioiifi  tho  Illinois  till 
At'cault  aiul  lils  (.•oinpaiiioiis  li-ft  for  the  upper  Mississippi,  this  man  could  not  have 
niado  the  a('()uaintarK'o  of  the  western  Indians  uiiless  he  had  hi'cn  sent  there  some 
time  in  i)rior  years.  Probably  be  was  amon^  the  fiteen  men  who  were  sent  in  ad- 
vance, as  mentioned  in  the  te.xt  a  few  pages  back,  and  may  have  extended  his 
travels  to  the  Mississippi,  afterwards  being  taken  Into  favor  ajjain  when  La  i?alle 
arrived  at  Lake  Micbl;;an.  Reckoning  the  two  months  stay  with  the  Illinois  as  the 
second  winter  of  Accault's  residence  amou^  the  Mississippi  tribes,  may  be  consid- 
ered a  pardonable  exaKifemtiou  for  rhetorical  purposes. 


THK    FUKNCn    ACCOUNTS   (  ONTINL'KI).  75 

]M'l»»au.  Tll^hor  still,  on  i\w  sam««  Hldo,  was  th«  fivor  Dos 
IJu'ufs.  ()x«'n  rivor,  now  the  Chippowa.  which  they  ox- 
j)lonMl  for  ton  or  tw^'lvc  U»a<7iiPs.  Half  a  l«>a^u«»  ahovo 
this  eomin(!n(«'<l  the  Loc  ihs  I'hurs,  Tjak*'  of  Toars  oi- 
Woopin^.  as  Hcnm»pin  namod  it,  now  calU'U  Pepin.  Noxt. 
a  str»'ani  without  nanii'.  to  whi«'h  Honnopin  ^av»'  thf  ap- 
pellation Du  Tombcaii.  or  (rravo  rivor,  now  tho  St.  Croix. 
In  ninotoen  days  fi'oni  tho  time  of  their  capture  thoy  all 
arrived  at  a  landin<^  place  in  a  cove  four  or  fiv(*  loapuos 
below   the   falls  of  St.    Anthony. 

This  landing  pla<'o  was  probably  sotnowlu'ro  on  tho  (innid 
Mftrais  of  tho  modorn  French,  tho  Pi<i:'s  Eye  flats  of  the 
Americans,  two  to  five  miles  below  Phalens  cre»'k  in  tho 
lower  part  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul.  Here  the  Indians  hid 
their  canoes,  and  every thin<^  else  was  carried  by  them  and 
their  captives  overland  for  sixty  leagues  to  tho  villa;;os  of 
tlio  former  on  or  near  the  Lac  ties  /ssnti,  now  Millc  Lacs,  or 
the  Rum  river  which  issued  from  it.  This  lake  was  osti 
mated  to  be  sixty  loaj^ues  west  of  Lake  Superior,  and  it  was 
there,  as  well  as  in  the  islands  and  country  surrounding  it. 
with  other  lakes  whence  rise  several  rivers,  that  lay  tho 
country  of  the  various  tribes  then  comprehended  under  the 
general  name  of  Nadouessioux.  In  the  beginning  of  July, 
the  Indians  set  out  in  separate  parties  on  a  buffalo  hunt. 
Hennepin  and  his  companions  accompanied  the  one  that 
descended  Rum  river,  the  river  of  the  Nadouessioux,  but 
now  christened  St.  Francis  by  our  missionary.  Arriving  at 
its  mouth  the  party  camped  on  an  eminence  opposite  it. 
most  probably  the  rising  ground  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
present  village  of  Champlain.  Although  the  Indians  had 
ascended  the  Mississippi  river  very    far,  they  could  say 


70  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVEH   AND    ITS   SOUUCK. 

nothing  about  its  source;    but  they  told  the  Frenchmen  that 
at  twenty  or  thirty  leagues  above  the  great  falls  there  was  a 
second  fall  at  the  foot  of  which  were  some  villages  of  the 
prairie  people  called  Tintonha,  w^ho  lived  there  a  part  of  the 
year.     There  will  probably  be  no  opposition  to  the  theory 
that  this  fall  was  what  was  later  known  as  JSauk  Rapids. 
Hennepin  and  Auguelle  were  allowed  to  leave  the  Indians  at 
the  camp  opposite  Rum  river  in  a  canoe  together,  as  Accault 
preferred  to  stay  behind  with  the  Indians  there,  in  order  to 
go  down  to  the  Wisconsin  river  where  La  Salle  had  prom- 
ised to  send  men  to  meet  them  with  supplies  and  news  from 
the  settlement.     Seven  or  eight  leagues  down  the  river  they  . 
came  to  where  it  forms  a  cataract  of  thirty  or  forty  feet 
high,  which  they  beheld  first  of  all  white  men,  so  far  as  is 
known,  and  which  Father  Louis  named  after  St.  Anthony  of 
Padua.     The  two  men  did  not  quite  reach  the  Wisconsin;  for 
one  of  the  chiefs  overtook  them  and  went  hastily  ahead  to 
arrive  there  first  and  seize  whatever  goods  he  could.    But 
within  three  days  they  met  him  returning  discomfited,  hav- 
ing found  neither  Frenchmen  nor  goods,  the  fact  being  that 
the  former  had  been  discouraged  or  dissuaded  and  did  not 
go  as  far  as  where  they  were  ordered  to  go.     Hennepin  and 
his    companion,    therefore,    now  turned    back    again    and 
rejoined  their  Indian  party  at  the  Chippewa  river,  as  far  as 
which  the   latter  had  descended,   hunting  as  they   came. 
Accault  was  with  them.     The  hunting  party  continued  down 
the  river  apparently  about  as  far  south  as  what  is  now  the 
stream  called  Apple  river  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  taking  their  former  captives  along  with 
them.    Having  finished  their  hunt  they  turned  northward 
again,  and  on  the  25th  of  July,  they  met  the  Sieur  Du  Luth ' 


THE    FRENCH   ACCOUNTS   CONTINUED.  77 

and  his  men,  who  were  descending  the  river  expressly  to 
find  Hennepin  and  the  two  Frenchmen.  The  place  of  meet- 
ing was  probably  about  ten  miles  above  the  present  city  of 
Dubuque.  ^ 

The  combined  parties  now  continued  their  journey,  by 
the  Rum  river  route,  to  the  Issati  villages,  where  they 
arrived  on  August  14.  Towards  the  end  of  September, 
having  no  means  with  which  to  begin  an  establishment, 
they  resolved  to  return  to  the  French  settlements;  and  so 
accompanied  by  Du  Luth,  eight  Frenchmen  in  two  canoes, 
they  descended  the  Rum  and  Mississippi  rivers  and 
ascended  the  Wisconsin,  to  return  to  Canada  by  the  Green 
Bay  route. 

In  addition  to  the  various  Hennepin  books,  there  was 
published  in  France,  in  1697,  a  volume  purporting  to  be 
written  by  the  Chevalier  Tonty,  but  the  authorship  of  which 
he  disavowed.  The  work  contains,  however,  in  an  inciden- 
tal way,  some  interesting  information,  which,  if  true,  is  of 


1.  Du  Luth's  name  has  to  be  Introduced  here  Incidentally,  but  It  may  not  be  out 
of  place  to  show,  la  addition,  how  he  came  to  be  so  opportunely  on  hand.  He 
was  an  independent  explorer  or  adventurer,  who  the  year  before  had  visited  the 
Nadoussioux,  reaching  the  '"great  village  of  the  Izatys"  on  July  2, 1079,  at  wliicli 
pla"e  lie  says  there  had  been  no  Frenchman  before  hlin.  The  next  year  he 
thought  he  would  enter  the  Sioux  country  from  Lake  Superior  by  tlie  more  cir- 
cuitous water  route;  so  he  ascended  the  Brule  and  descended  the  St.  froix.  At 
themouthof  the  latter  he  met  some  Sioux  who  told  him  about  the  captivity  of 
Hennepin  and  his  canoemen,  which  caused  him  to  set  out  to  overtake  the  hunting 
party  and  the  captives,  instead  of  proceeding  directly  to  the  village  of  the 
Nadouessloux.  This  Incident  caused  him  to  change  his  plans,  he  says,  which  had 
been,  in  his  own  words,  "to  push  on  to  the  sea  in  a  west-northwesterly  direction, 
which  1e  that  which  is  believed  to  be  the  Red  sea,  whence  the  Indians  who  liad 
gone  warring  on  that  side  gave  salt  to  three  Frenchmen  whom  I  had  sent]  exploring. 
and  who  brought  me  said  salt,  havhig  I'cported  to  me  that  the  Indians  had  told 
them  that  it  was  only  twenty  days  journey  from  where  tliey  were  to  find  the  great 
lake  of  which  the  waters  were  worthless  to  drink."  The  men  he  refers  to  here 
who  were  impliedly  sent  out  in  1679  from  the  "Izatys  village,"  must  have  gone 
beyond  the  Mississippi  river  some  distance  and  thus  have  been  among  its  discov- 
erers; but  the  headwaters  of  the  river  presented  no  such  charming  prospects  of 
trade  and  power  as  its  lower  portion  did,  and  were  consequently  talked  about  and 
thought  of  merely  in  an  incidental  way,  when  at  all. 


78 


THE   MISSISSIPPI    HIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 


the  highest  importance  in  this  connection.  In  it  is  stated 
how  La  Salle  appointed  "M.  Dacan"  to  make  an  exploration 
of   the  lands  lying    along    the   river  Mississippi   running 

■Ji4.ci.li  eels 


Ant*""*'"'" 


laOKlOB 


TAUT    OF  CAKTE    DE    LA   NOUVELLE    FllANCE,   ET  DE    LA  LOTTISIANE. 
*     REVEREND  PEKE  LOUIS  HENNEPIN.      168.3. 

northeast,  and  selected  the  Recollect  Father  Louis  with  four 
other  Frenchmen  to  accompany  him.  They  embarked  the 
28th  of  February.  1680,  on  the  river  of  the  Illinois,  which 
they  descended  to  the  Mississippi,  and  then  ascended  the 
latter  "as  far  as  550  leagues  towards  the  north,  at  seven 


THE  FUENCH  ACCOUNTS  CONTINUED.  79 

leagues  from  its  source,  divergfinjsr  from  time  to  time  on  one 
side  or  the  other  of  the  banks  to  reconnoitre  the  different 
nations  who  lived  there.  This  river  issues  from  a  great 
spring  [source]  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  which  borders  a  very 
beautiful  plain  in  the  country  of  the  Issati,  in  50^  of  lati- 
tude. At  four  or  five  leagues  from  its  source  it  becomes  so 
enlarged  by  five  or  six  rivers  which  empty  into  it,  that  it  is 
capable  of  floating  boats." 

Further  on  it  states  that  Dacan  "placed,  at  two  leagues 
from  the  source  of  this  Great  River,  the  arms  of  the  king 
on  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree  in  sight  of  all  these  nations." 

This  publication  was  very  likely  a  piece  of  bookseller's 
hack  work,  and  its  account  of  the  expedition  differs  widely 
from  that  given  in  the  works  of  Hennepin  himself  and  the 
La  Salle  documents.  Still  the  description  of  the  source  of 
the  Mississippi  has  such  suggestions  of  the  actual  truth  as 
regards  the  grand  topographical  features  of  the  country, 
the  Jiwjtertrs  des  terres  and  the  great  j)lains  of  the  Red 
river  west  of  them,  that  it  is  more  likely  to  have  been 
derived  from  Indian  sources,  through  the  medium  oC  Accault 
or  some  other  French  voyageur,  than  to  have  been  con- 
ceived entirely  in  the  brain  of  a  compiler  in  a  Paris  Grub 
Street. 

The  doings  of  La  Salle,  from  ihe  time  he  left  his  Illinois 
fort  near  Peoria  lake  two  days  after  Hennepin's  departure, 
till  he  descended  the  Illinois  river  two  years  later  to  proceed 
on  the  long  meditated  journey  to  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, are  well  known  and  need  only  a  passing  reference 
here.  In  these  two  years  this  "much  enduring  man"  made 
long  journeys  by  land  and  water  between  the  colony  and  his 
settlement.     He  was  in  danger  from  war  parties  of  savages, 


80  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

exposed  unsheltered  to  the  rigors  of  winter;  suffered  many 
times  from  hunger;  and  lastly  was  betrayed  by  some  and  ill 
supported  by  others  of  those  who  served  under  him.  Yet 
he  never  faltered,  but  with  whatever  means  he  had  still  did 
his  best.  In  the  light  of  our  present  knowledge,  he  was  not 
the  discoverer  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Mississippi  river 
and  of  its  mouths;  in  his  own  eyes  he  was,  and  reasonably 
and  honestly  too,  as  will  be  hereafter  shown;  therefore  in  a 
geographical  memoir  like  this  it  would  not  be  right  to  omit 
reference  to  the  journey  he  had  so  set  his  heart  upon. 

It  has  been  maintained  by  some  of  La  Salle's  xnore  enthu- 
siastic admirers  that  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  itself,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  Ohio  and  Illinois,  were  seen  by  him 
sometime  between  1669  and  1672,  prior  to  the  voyage  of 
Joliet;  but  this  theory,  at  the  best,  has  not  met  with  more 
than  respectful  attention.  It  is  a  little  singular,  had  he 
already  seen  the  Mississippi,  that  in  his  own  writings,  and 
in  official  papers  friendly  to  him.  no  statement  can  be  found 
showing  that  at  the  time  he  made  his  settlement  on  the 
Illinois  river,  and  later  when  ready  to  start  upon  the  actual 
journey  of  discovery,  he  had  in  mind  any  other  idea  than 
that  he  was  going  to  a  river  no  portion  of  which  he  had  ever 
seen  before.  Writing  in  September.  1680,  he  plainly  states 
that  he  had  diligently  inquired  of  the  natives  when  at  the 
Illinois  village  on  Peoria  Lake,  as  well  as  of  the  visiting 
Indians  from  tribes  down  the  river,  concerning  the  character 
and  navigability  of  the  Mississippi;  and  that  they  told  him 
marvels  of  it.  which  he  says,  he  postpones  writing  about 
until  he  shall  have  ascertained  their  truth.  His  idea  was  to 
have  the  productions  of  the  country  (buffalo  hides  ap- 
parently) exported  by  way  of  the  Gulf;  but  he  considered 


THF.  FRENCH  ACCOUNTS  CONTINUED.  81 

that  even  if  the  river  did  not  prove  navigable  to  the  sea,  it 
would  not  be  necessary  to  return  to  the  expensive  and  dan 
gerous  way  of  the  lakes,  but  that  by  means  of  the  river 
which  he  had  found  the  commodities  of  the  country  of  the 
Illinois  could  be  transported  to  Fort  Frontenac.  This  river 
he  says  was  the  one  called  by  him  Baudrane,  by  the  Iroquois 
the  Ohio,  and  by  the  Outaouas  Olighin-cipou,  which  entered 
into  the  Colbert  20  to  25  leagues  south-one- quarter  of  south- 
west of  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois'.  When  all  was  ready  they 
began  the  descent.  Arriving  at  the  Akansas  villages,  Joliet's 
lowest  point,  possession  was  taken  of  the  country  of  Lou- 
isiana^  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  France.  This  occurred 
on  March  13,  1682,  with  great  ceremony  at  Kapaha''. 

The  proclamation  included  all  the  country  between  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Louis,  called  also  Ohio,  Olighin-sipou, 
and  Chukagoua;  and  along  this  and  each  of  the  rivers 
which  empty  into  it  on  the  east;  also  the  country  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  Palms  on  the  west,  along  the 


1.  The  very  Incorrect  distance,  less  than  one-third  of  reality,  and  the  false 
bearing  hero  given,  do  not  favor  tlie  idea  tliat  La  Salle  was  speaking  from  liis  own 
knowledge  of  the  localities.  Indeed  it  did  not  reciuire  a  personal  visit  to  conclude 
that  the  Ohio  flowing  westward  must  enter  somewhere  into  the  Colbert  flowing 
southward. 

2.  Margry  shows  that  the  first  known  use  of  this  geograpliical  term  was  by  La 
Salle,  in  a  private  document  dated  June  10th,  1079. 

3.  The  reader  will  probably  be  reminded  here  of  the  Kapaha  of  the  Soto  expe- 
dition mentioned  by  the  historian  Garcllaso,  but  the  locality  Is  not  the  sanie. 
Tliis  word  togetlier  with  Castjnia,  Chisca,  Cliicaca,  and  Clutkagoua,  were  all  tliat 
wore  met  with  by  La  Salle  of  those  streams  and  villages  the  nomenclature 
of  which  belongs  to  the  Soto  narratives.  It  is  true  that  when  witli  the  Illi- 
nois he  speaks  of  hearing  from  the  Indiansof  the  geographical  names  reported  by 
the  prior  expedition  referred  to,  among  wliicli  was  Aminoia,  the  place  of  Moscoso's 
embarking;  but  on  going  down  the  riverhemust  liavc  found  he  had  misunderst(M)d 
It,  for  neither  he  nor  bis  lieutenants  mention  the  word  again.  The  name  of  this 
ancient  village  seems  to  appear,  under  a  somewhat  different  form,  in  a  certain  sen- 
tence to  be  found  in  a  book  of  American  travel  by  J.  F.  D.  Smyth,  published  in 
178-i.  Among  the  tributaries  of  the  Mississipp  mentioned  by  him  Is  "the  Imahans 
or  Arkansaw  river," 

-6  -■■-,'..•       ■■■■.  ■■•_■.■•    .■  ■     _   '■  f.  - 


82  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVEK    AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

Colbert  called  Mississippi,  and  all  the  rivers  which  des- 
cend into  it  on  the  east.  The  three  passes  of  the  river 
were  reached  in  April  and  descended  to  their  mouths;  and 
on  the  9th,  at  the  first  firm  land  above  the  head  of  the 
delta,  formal  possession  was  again  taken;  and  the  terms 
of  possession  were  to  the  same  effect  practically  as  at 
Kapaha,  but  contained  some  additional  geographical  defini- 
tions. There  was  included  all  the  country  along  the  Col- 
bert or  Mississippi  and  the  streams  emptying  into  it  "from 
its  source  beyond  the  country  of  the  Sioux  or  Nadous- 
sioux"  to  its  mouth  at  the  sea  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  "on  the 
assurance  that  we  have  had  from  all  this  nation  that  we 
are  the  first  Europeans  who  have  descended  or  ascended 
the  said  river  Colbert." 

Later,  when  at  leisure  at  his  fort  of  St.  Louis  on  the 
Illinois  riv^er,  as  appears  by  some  loose  sheets  in  his  hand- 
writing. La  Salle  seems  to  have  pondered  on  the  geo- 
graphical results  and  relations  of  his  discovery,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  conclusion  that  the  river  he  had  just  explored 
was  not  the  Chucagua  or  Rio  Grande  of  Soto  and  Moscoso. 
However,  the  identifying  the  Ohio  with  the  Chucagua  in 
the  two  proclamations  is  not  necessarily  to  be  looked  upon 
as  a  strict  geographical  definition,  but  rather  as  a  polit- 
ical precaution  employed  to  cover  and  anticipate  all  adverse 
claims  to  possession. 

When  in  the  next  century  the  geography  of  the  inter- 
ior of  the  country  became  better  understood,  it  was  seen 
that  he  was  mistaken;  but  he  had  argued  well,  though  from 
scanty  and  erroneous  data.  The  Soto  expedition  was  in 
his  mind,  and  he  looked  for  populous  nations;  for  an  open 
country  on  the  banks  of  a  very  wide  river;  and  for  other 


THE   FliENCH   ACCOUNTS   CONTINUED.  83 

thin^  which  he  did  not  meet  with.  Below  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  he  neither  saw  nor  heard  of  hirgo  streams  flow- 
ing from  the  east,  from  far  back  in  the  interior  of  the 
country,  emptying  themselves  into  the  Mississi])pi  river, 
similar  to  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers,  on  the  west  side. 
These  things  made  him  think  that  the  Chukagoa  could 
not  be  very  far  off  to  the  eastward,  running  southerly  to 
the  Gulf.  Still  he  had  been  told  that  it  did  enter  the 
Mississippi,  which  he  considered  possible;  for  the  follow- 
ing reason.  Commencing  above  the  Akaiisa  villages  there 
was  a  great  island,  or  rather  many  islands,  which  extended 
for  sixty  or  eighty  leagues;  and  he  thought  that  somewhere 
on  the  eastern  side  of  this  island  the  Chucagoa  might  come 
in*.  However,  he  was  not  able  to  decide  the  question  be- 
cause they  took  the  west  channel  in  descending  and  had 
to  use  it  in  coming  back;  for  they  had  left  most  of  their 
baggage  with  the  Akansa. 

A  reasonable  explanation  of  the  geographical  complica- 
tions caused  by  the  somewhat  mythic,  and  yet  real, 
Chukagoa  river  may  be  offered.  Away  to  the  eastward,  in 
the  Appalaxjhian  mountains,  the  army  of  Soto  had  come 
upon  the  headwaters  of  a  river  which  ran  westward  and 
which  (where  they  struck  it  again  a  year  later)  the  natives 
called  Chucagua;  meaning  as  La  Salle  afterwards  said, 
"The  Great  River,  like  Mississipi  in  Outaouas  and  Mascic- 
cipi  in  Illinois."  Now  this  stream  was  the  Tennessee  which 
these  Spaniards,  ignorant  of  the  abrupt  bend  it  makes  to 
the  northward  at  a  point  far  beyond  where  they  left  it,  not 
unnaturally  supposed  to  continue  the  same  general  course. 


1  The  same  island  already  described  in  a  foot-note  treating  of  Radisson's  Bivvr 
th<it  Divides  Itmelf  in  Two. 


84  THE    MISSISSIPPI    UIVKK   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

Arriving  at  the  Mississippi  itself  they  concluded  they  wore 
on  the  lower  part  of  the  same  river  of  which  they  had 
already  behold  the  sources.  Could  La  Salle  have  realized 
the  truth  that  his  river  and  Soto's  were  one  and  the  same,  he 
might  have  spared  himself  much  thought.  His  error  in 
supposing  that  they  were  not  may  have  been  partly  owing 
to  the  maps  of  the  day.  As  already  mentioned  here,  in 
treating  of  the  Spanish  discoveries,  these  maps  portrayed 
in  the  interior  of  the  country  a  complicated  hydrography,  of 
which  the  Spirito  Santo  bay  and  river  were  prominent 
features,  and  which  proved  later  to  be  entirely  irreconcilable 
with  the  truth.  They  were  evidently  useless  to  an  explorer 
descending  a  stream  from  the  interior,  w^ho  might  have 
desired  to  find  at  what  part  of  the  Gulf  coast  he  had 
arrived.  No  delta  of  a  large  river  appeared  on  the  north 
shore  in  any  of  these  maps  or  charts  and,  with  the  exception 
of  the  bay  referred  to,  the  topography  was  very  obscure. ' 

Somewhat  in  the  sense  in  which  La  Salle  discovered  the 
lower  portion  of  the  Mississippi  river  in  1682,  it  was  also 
discovered  seventeen  years  later  by  Iberville.  As  has 
already  been  shown,  the  foi  mer  was  finally  led  to  believe 
that  Soto  had  not  preceded  him  in  his  descent  of  the  river, 
and  therefore,  considered  himself  an  original  discoverer. 
In  its  turn  La  Salle's  claim  was  not  universally  admitted  ; 


iLa  Salle's  real  Ideas  about  the  position  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  were  that  It 
was  a  long  way  west  of  the  Saint  Esprit  or  Spirito  Santo  l)ay.  Ho  wrote  in  the  de- 
tached leaves  bt^fore  mentioned,  "Moreover,  all  the  maps  are  worthless,  or  tlie 
mouth  of  the  Colbert  is  near  to  Mexico;  because  it  has  its  mouth  to  the  east- 
southeast  and  not  to  tlie  south,  as  all  the  south  coast  of  Florida  faces,  except 
that  which  runs  from  the  river  called  Escondldo  on  the  maps  as  far  as  Panuco. 
This Escondido  is  surely  the  Mississippi." 

He  further  showed  that  it  could  not  be  the  peninsula  of  Florida  where  the  rive  r 
emptied,  as  that  was  not  wide  enough  for  the  Colbert,  which  "bears  to  the  east, 
or  at  most  to  the  southeast,  mailing  in  this  direction  at  least  one  hundrer"  and 
twenty  leagues  from  the  30th  to  the  27th  degree  of  latitude  when  It  discharges  it- 


THK  FUENCH  ACCOUNTS  CONTINUED.         86 

for  it  was  said  at  Paris,   oven  by  somo  hi«?h  in  authority, 
that  the  river  which  h<»  descended  was  nothing  new  as  it 
doubtless  emptied  into  the  bay  Saitit  Esprit.     In  reality  said 
bay  had  only  been  a  "  jjeojrraphical  ex])ression  "  to  him.  and 
certainly  was  no  more  to  his  critics. 

The  story  of  La  Salle's  expedition  by  sea,  in  1684,  to  the 
irulf  of  Mexico  for  colonizing  purpo.ses  is  well  known,  and 
only  needs  mention  here.  In  a  few  years  the  explorer  was 
dead  and  the  colony  a  thing  of  the  past.  After  a  while 
various  men  of  enterprise  solicited  the  French  government 
for  authority  and  means  to  continue  the  work  ;  not  in  the 
region  towards  the  Spaniards  whore  La  Salle  lost  himself, 
but  at  the  entrance  of  the  Mississippi.  The  government, 
however,  was  no  way  anxious  to  form  establishments  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  at  once,  but  only  desired  to  complete  the 
discovery  in  order  to  hinder  the  English  from  taking  posses- 
sion there. 

The  fortunate  man  to  have  charge  of  this  expedition  was 
Le  Moyne  d" Iberville.  He  sailed  westward  along  the  coast 
from  the  peninsula  of  Florida,  intending  to  carefully  examine 
all  the  land  for  fifty  or  sixty  leagues  beyond  it.  Above  all 
he  wished  to  note  the  rivers  as  far  as  the  "Bay  of  Saint- 
Esprit."  where  all  his  vessels  were  to  rendezvous,  and  into 

self  Into  tlio  sea;  .Wiich  Is  impossible  within  the  width  of  tlieCapeof  Florida, 
but  precisely  suits  the  bearing  of  Escondido.  Tliat  it  is  whiuli  makes  me  main- 
taia  that  we  were  near  Mexico  and  consequently  in  anotlior  river  than  the  Cbu- 
cuKoa,  wliere  tlie  Spaniards  were  so  long  a  time  before  arriving  in  Mexico." 

Tliis  Escondido,  or  I'idden  river,  of  the  Spaniards,  was  subscciuently  known  to 
them  as  the  Rio  Bravo  del  Norte,  at  present  Rio  Grande,  and  in  part  forming  the 
international  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Besides  his  being 
misled  by  the  eAaggeration  of  the  Soto  story  and  by  tlie  indefinite  coast  line 
topography  of  the  then  current  maps.  La  Salle  had  failed  by  two  degrees  In  ascer- 
taining the  true  latitude  of  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi,  wliich  are  in  about  29" 
instead  of  27".  These  considerations  show  how  he  was  drawn  into  irretrievable 
error,  though  having  the  best  Intentions.  He  was  thus  the  innocent  cause  of  the 
very  erroneous  way  In  which  the  lower  part  of  the  river  that  he  had  explored  to 
the  sea  was  represented  on  the  great  map  of  the  geographer  Franquelin. 


86  THK    MISSISSII'IM    UIVKK    AND    ITS   SOUKCE. 

which  ho  would  «?o  iiiid  ascertain  if  the  Mississippi  really 
entered  it.  The  bay  was  said  ^o  be  one  hundred  leagues 
east  of  the  Bay  St.  Louis  where  La  Salle  had  settled  down. 
When  Iberville  arrived  at  Mobilo  bay  he  considered  the 
river  then;  ldr«;e  enou<?h  to  be  th»»  Mississippi  sought  for  ; 
but  for  sufficient  reasons  concluded  that  it  was  not  the  one 
the  travellers  descended. 

Thence  he  coasted  westward  until  he  found  a  harbor  for 
his  vessels,  afterward  known  as  Biloxi,  where  they  anchored. 
Here  he  learned  from  the  Indians  that  the  river  he  sought 
for  was  some  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues  farther  and  that  it 
'vas  known  to  them  as  the  Malbanchia,  and  was  the  same  as 
that  called  by  the  Spaniards  the  River  of  the  Palisades,  On 
the  27th  of  February  he  left  his  fleet  in  the  harbor  and  with 
a  strong  force  in  smaller  craft  departed  to  reconnoitre  the 
environs  of  the  Lago  de  Lodoor  Mud  Lake,  '"which  is  what 
the  Spaniards  call  the  one  named  on  the  maps  the  Baye  du 
SaintEsprif."  On  the  night  ofMarch  '2,  1699,  he  put  into  the 
entry  of  the  Mississippi  River. ' 

Through  the  efforts  of  himself  and  his  brother  Bienville, 
the  lower  part  of  the  river  was  thoroughly  examined,  but  he 
was  surprised  and  disappointed  in  not  being  able  to  recog- 
nize the  islands  and  branches  of  the  river  he  had  read  about 


1.  T'p  to  this  time  t)>e  Spaniards  seem  to  have  acted  Uke  the  dog  in  the  ir.an.::iT 
In  respect  to  tilt' lower  Mississippi  river,  and  the  sliores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to 
tlie  east  and  west .  Although  the  entire  coast  line  had  lonR  ago  been  explored  l)y 
their  ships  no  information  eoncerniuf?  it  was  directly  published.  They  evidently 
knew  about  the  embouchure  of  the  river,  for  they  had  called  it  the  River  of  the 
Palisiides  on  account  of  the  bristling  appearance  presented  by  the  trees  which  hud 
drifted  down  from  al)ove  and  lodged  at  the  outlets  at  the  delta,  where  they 
remained  and  lulped  to  form  bars.  They,  the  Spaniards,  told  Iliervllle,  that  l)y 
reason  of  these  barst'uT"  was  no  entry,  but  he  writes  that  he  did  not  believe  the 
report.  A  Spanish  p.lo;  told  Chasteaumorant,  one  of  the  French  officers,  that  lie 
did  not  know  anj  Mississippi  river,  but  that  he  had  heard  speak  of  a  river  call'd 
the  River  of  Canad^i,  beyond  the  "  Islands  of  San  Diego. " 


THE    KRKNCH    ACCOUNTS   CONTINUKO.  87 

Ncith«!r  could  ho  tiud  the  Quiniiippissas  and  Tan^lpahcxjs  of 
the  expedition  of  L:i  Sj,lle  ;  but  he  afterward  «»xplainod  this 
on  the  j?round  that  the  true  names  of  some  of  the  tribes  had 
been  suppressed  throuj^h  policy.  When,  however,  the  letter 
which  Tonty  in  10^5  had  l«>ft  Ijehind  with  the  Indians  to  be 
g^iven  to  La  Salle  when  he  should  ascend  the  river  a^ain. 
was  placed  in  his  hands,  all  doubts  vanished,  and  Iberville 
knew  that  the  riddle  was  at  last  read.  He  knew  now  that 
the  Mississippi  did  not  debouch  in  any  Spirlto  Santo  Bay  of 
doubtful  identity,  nor  was  an  Esrondklo  emptying  into  the 
jjulf  at  its  extreme  western  side,  but  on  the  contrary  that  it 
was  identical  with  a  river  in  the  centre  of  tiie  northern  coast, 
whose  well  defined  delta,  however,  through  leglect  or  acci- 
dent, had  never  yet  been  represented.  ai)parently,  on  the 
charts  of  a  sea  already  navigated  for  nearly  two  centuries. 

With  this  first  voyage  of  Ibervillt  the  story  of  French  dis- 
covery and  exploration  of  the  Mississippi  river,  so  far  as  re 
gards  the  lower  four-fifths  of  its  course,  is  virtually  brought 
to  an  end.  Concerning  this  upper  fifth,  or  that  part  of  the 
river  which  lay  beyond  the  farthest  point  reached  by  Hen- 
nepin in  1680 — the  entrance  of  the  river  of  the  Xadouessioux, 
now  Rum  river — there  only  remain  some  minor  incidental  esti- 
mates, remarks  and  rumors,  to  be  found  in  various  miscella- 
neous books  and  documents.  Such  as  they  are,  however, 
they  are  here  collected  together,  and  may  not  be  unworthy 
of  the  reader's  attention. 

In  the  year  1701,  a  man  named  Mathieu  Sagean  claimed 
that  he  had  been  with  La  Salle  in  1083  at  the  Fort  St.  Louis 
on  the  Illinois,  and,  having  obtained  Tonty's  permission,  had 
left  there  with  a  number  of  companions  to  ascend  the  Miss- 
issippi river  to  malte  discoveries.      His  story  ran,   that  at 


88  ThE  MISSISSIIM'I    KIVKii    AND    ITS   snL'UlE. 

ubout  iT)*)  l«'a;iriu!.s  from  tlm  luoutli  of  tlio  Illinois,  thoy  cumo 
U)  u  hi^h  fall  in  tho  river,  around  which  it  was  necessary  to 
make  u  jjorta^e  of  six  lea^fues;  that  beyond  this  they  trav- 
elled 40  lea^'ues  or  more  to  a  place  where  they  staid  for  two 
and  a  half  months,  and  hunted  all  around,  but  saw  no 
Indians;  that  at  14  leajfues  away  (^iven  elsewhere  40)  they 
found  a  river  runniuj^  south  southwest,  upon  which  the3' 
emV)arked  and  descended  for  -40  leagues,  until  they  arrived 
at  the  populous  country  of  the  Acaaniba,  some  200  leagues 
in  extent.  Of  this  region  he  told  wonderful  tales;  about  its 
immense  riches  in  gold  and  other  property;  its  king,  stand- 
ing army;  brave  men  and  virtuous  women,  etc.  Sagean  was 
an  illiterate  man,  so.  after  being  ([uestioned  by  government 
ofRcials  about  his  travels, his  account  was  reduced  to  writing, 
but  it  was  soon  decided  to  be  unworthy  of  any  confidence,  or 
at  least  the  first  part  of  it  which  describes  the  journey  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  The  narrative  remained  in  MS.  until 
within  a  few  years;  when  published  it  made  some  sixty  pages 
or  so,  the  first  quarter  of  which  describes  the  fabulous  south- 
western travels.  Had  he  been  a  man  of  education,  like  Hen- 
nepin or  La  Hontan,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  written  a 
book,  and  have  accompanied  it  with  some  sort  of  a  plagiar- 
ized or  imaginative  map.  as  they  did,  which  would  have  been 
an  infliction  on  geographers  for  a  generation  or  two,  but, 
fortunately  for  posterity,  he  was  not.  There  are  probably 
but  few  general  readers,  who.  though  the  names  of  the  first 
two  archerH  may  be  familiar  to  them  as  household  words, 
are  acquainted  with  the  abortive  hoax  of  Sagean. 

The  trader  and  explorer  Pierre  Le  Sueur,  when  at  Paris, 
in  a  letter  written  in  1701,  showed  that  this  man  Sagean 
was  an  imposter,  as  he  had  known  him  in  Canada  bearing 


THE  FKKNCH  ACCOUNTS  CONTINUKU.         89 

a  different  nam«';  anC  that  his  story  of  now  discoveries  was 
SI  falsoliood,  as  in  statements  which  wore  susceptible  of 
veiitlcation  h«»  was  clearly  wide' of  the  truth.  After  saying 
that  more  than  two  years  lieforn  he  had  Ix'cn  at  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony  with  the  Sioux  and  had  asc«>rtained  the 
lenji^th  of  tlie  portajfe  there  to  be  no  more  than  ir)00  paces, 
Le  Sueur  continues:  "I  have  already  said  that  I  had 
ascended  more  than  lUO  l«'aj,'u«'s  above  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  which  is  Um  only  place  where  it  is  necessary  to 
carry  one's  canoe  and  ba^'^'a^'e,  in  ascending  the  Mississipi 
from  its  mouth  to  its  source,  and  the  Sioux  with  whom  I 
went  up  assured  me  that  there  were  yet  more  ihan  ten  days 
journey  to  ascend.  It  is  at  least  100  leagues  before  coming 
to  the  sources  of  the  Mississipi.  1  say  sources,  because 
there  are  many  of  them,  according  to  the  report  of  the 
savages." 

The  distance  of  100  leagues  here  given  would  bring  Le 
bueur  to  a  point  about  four  miles  holow  Sandy  lake,  but  as. 
of  course,  that  was  only  an  estimate,  the  termination  of  his 
journey  may  be  safely  put  at  that  place,  where,  doubtless, 
as  in  more  modern  times,  the  Indians  had  a  village.  His 
estimate  of  a  like  distance  beyond,  of  100  leagues  to  the 
source  of  the  river  from  the  place  where  he  turned  back,  if 
it  be  Sandy  lake,  is  also  a  good  approximation,  being 
within  twenty-one  miles  of  the  actual  distance  if  the  Itasca 
branch  were  meant;  but  is  still  nearer  the  truth  if  the 
Turtle  river  source  were  understood,  as  it  probably  was. 

Le  Page  du  Pratz,  author  of  a  well-known  History  of 
Louisiana,  written  in  1757,  went  to  that  colony  in  1718  and 
remained  there  sixteen  years.  In  this  book,  speaking  of 
the  Mississippi   river,    he    states    that,     *'  Many    travelers 


90 


THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVEU   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 


have  tried  in  vain  to  reach  its  source,  which,  however,  is 
known,  whatever  some  ill-informed  authors  may  have  said; 
here  is  what  is  the  most  certain  concerning  the  source  of 
this   great  river  of    North    America."    He  then  relates   a 

story,  which,  having 


been  received  by 
him  at  first  hand, 
we  have  no  reason 
to  doubt.  He  says 
that  a  M.  du  Charle- 
ville,  a  relation  of 
the  governor  Bien- 
ville, told  him  that 
at  the  time  of  the 
settlement  of  the 
French,  curiosity 
had  led  him  to  as- 
cend the  river  to 
seek    its    source. 

PAKT  OF  CAIIT  DU  CANADA,  OU  DE  LA  NOU-  TTr;4.r,  4^,^^  n^^<.A\,...^ 

VELLK  FUANCE,  DE  l'isle.    1703.  ^ith  two  Canadums 

and  two  Indians,  in  a  birch  bark  canoe  he  went  up  the  river 
300  leagues  above  the  Illinois,  where  he  found  the  falls 
called  St.  Anthony's,  a  flat  rock  crossing  the  river  giving  it 
only  eight  or  ten  feet  descent.  Making  the  portage  there, 
he  ascended  100  leagues  farther  to  the  country  of  the 
Sioux,  whom"  he  found  engaged  in  hunting,  and  who  were 
very  much  surprised  to  see  him.  They  told  him  that  it  was 
a  very  bad  country,  very  little  game  in  it,  and  that  the 
source  was  as  far  from  the  falls  as  the  falls  were  from  the 
sea.  Du  Pratz  says  the  latter  distance  was  reckoned  at  800 
leagues,  and  considered  the  Indian  estimate  probable  taking 


THE    FUENCH   ACCOUNTS   CONTINUED.  9i 

into  account  the  size  of  the  river  above  the  falls.  There  are 
there  80  to  35  fathoms  of  water,  he  writes,  with  a  breadth  in 
proportion,  which  amount  of  water  could  never  have  come 
from  a  source  not  far  removed;  and  all  the  Indians,  informed 
by  those  nearer  the  head  of  the  river,  were  of  the  same 
opinion.  Charleville  seems  to  have  been  deterred  by  these 
reports  of  the  Indians,  who  exaggerated  matters,  probably, 
to  make  him  turn  back;  for  Pu  Pratz  says  he  did  not  see 
the  source  of  the  Mississippi.  Elsewhere,  in  concluding 
his  observations  on  the  Sioux  and  the  upper  Mississippi, 
our  author  says:  "However,  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves 
concerning  our  interests  m  this  very  distant  region;  many 
centuries  must  pass  before  we  shall  have  penetrated  these 
northern  countries  of  Louisiana." 

Penicaut,  one  of  Le  Sueur's  men,  in  his  Annals  of  Louis- 
iana, wrote — "To  the  present  time  [say  172:2]  no  one  has 
discovered  the  source  of  the  Missouri,  any  more  than  that 
of  the  Mississippi." 

Sieur  Mandeville,  in  a  memoir  written  in  1709,  says: — 
"They  ascend  {on  remonte)  the  Mississippi  as  far  as  its 
source,  which  is  about  1000  leagues  from  the  sea.  They 
descend  it  without  much  trouble." 

Lamothe  Cadillac  was  a  French  army  ofllcer  stationed 
at  Mackinaw  and  Detroit  in  the  early  years  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century.  In  an  elaborate  memoir  by  him  dated 
1718,  written  probably  during  his  enforced  leisure  in  the 
Bastile,  he  uses  these  words: — "As  regards  the  source  of 
the  Mississippi  river,  we  can  say  that  it  is  in  48'^  lati- 
tude and  276"  longitude.  It  apparently  has  its  origin 
in  some  lake,  which  forms  another  river,  going  to  the 
north  and  discharging  itself  into  the  great  lake  of   the 


9Z  THE   MISSISSIPPI   UIVEll  AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

Assiniboels.  which  forms  rivers  without  end  that  empty 
themselves  towards  Fort  Nelson,  and  into  other  great 
bays.  This  lake  is  called  by  the  savages  the  Grandfather 
of  All  the  Lakes,  meaning  by  that  expression  that  it  is 
incomparably  greater   than  all   the  others." 

The  Company  of  the  Indies,  authorized  in  1717,  states, 
in  an  undated  memoir  or  prospectus,  that  it  is  formed  to 
make  PstablLshments  in  Louisiana  and  other  countries  of 
enormous  extent,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Mobile  rivers  "as  far  as  the  two  sources  of  the  river 
Mississippi  in  the  north,  about  800  leagues,  which  is  the 
general  course  of  that  river."  Possibly  by  this  expres- 
sion of  "two  sources"  is  meant  the  head-waters  of  the 
Mississippi  proper  and   those  of   the  Missouri. 

The  elder  Verendrye  in  1737  sent  to  France  a  general  map 
of  the  country  lying  to  the  westward  and  northwestward  of 
Lake  Superior,  as  known  to  the  French  by  that  time  from 
their  explorations  or  from  information  received  from  the 
Indians.  On  it  our  Red  lake  is  represented  as  emptying 
through  the  Red  river  into  Winnipeg  lake  on  the  one  side, 
and  on  the  ojjposite  is  shown  as  connected  by  a  stream  with 
the  Mississippi.  This  stream  is  naturally  a  combination  of 
the  upper  Red  Lake  river  and  Turtle  river.  From  the 
mouth  of  the  latter  another  little  river  reaches  out  west- 
ward and  heads  in  a  small  lake  to  the  south  or  southwest  of 
Red  lake,  which  stream  and  lake  bear  the  expression 
Source  du  Mississipy. 

From  this  time  on  till  the  speculations  of  the  English 
travellers  and  authors,  beginning  a  quarter  of  a  century 
later,  were  printed,  nothing  seems  to  have  been  written  con- 
cerning the  source  of  the  river;  nor  do  the  maps  published 


THE   FRENCH   ACCOUNTS   CONTINUED. 


93 


during  that  interval  throw  much   additional   light  on   the 
subject. 

N.  B.  As  may  be  readily  imagined,  the  books  conculted 
by  me  in  the  compilation  of  this  monograph  are  entirely  too 
numerous  for  individual  mention.  The  greater  part  of  them 
are  to  be  found  on  the  shelves  of  the  library  of  the  Minne- 


Su^erio r 


PART  OF  CAKTE    DES    NOUVELLES  DE'  COUVERTES  A  1. 'GUEST  DE    L.V 

NOUVELLE  TRANCE,   DRESSE  SURLES  MEMORIES 

DE  MR.   DEL'  ISLE.      1750. 

sota  Historical  Society,  which  possesses  a  good  collection  of 
French  authorities  treating  of  American  history  in  the  16th, 
17th  and  18th  centuries,  and  has  made  a  beginning  towards 
obtaining  a  similar  one  of  Spanish  works  relating  to  the  dis- 
covery of  America,  and  to  its  history  while  under  the  rule 
of  Spain.  There  are,  however,  among  all  these  a  few  which 
have  been  of  such  signal  use  in  furnishing  original  facts, 
that  it  would  be  sheer  ingratitude  not  to  indicate  my  great 


94  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER  AND   ITS   SOURCE.    - 

obligations  to  them.     These  books  are  enumerated  as  fol- 
lows: 

1.  The  Ilistoria  general  y  natural  de  las  Inclias  Occidentales  of 

Oviedo,  (1535,)  as  reprinted  at  Madrid  in  1851-55,  in  4 
vols.,  4to.  The  entire  fourth  volume  had  never 
before  been  published. 

2.  Relation  des  Jesuites,  dc,  dans  la  Nouvelle  France,  1632-1672. 

Reprinted  at  Quebec  in  1858,  in  3  vols.,  large  Bvo. 
This  was  a  practically  new  book,  for  the  original 
issue,  in  forty-one  volumes,  was  entirely  out  of  reach 
of  the  ordinary  scholar. 

3.  Le  Journal  des  Jesuites,    1645-1668.     Edited  by   Abbes 

Laverdiere  and  Casgrain,  and  first  published  at  Que- 
bec, 1871. 

4.  Decouvertes   et   Etablissements  des  Francais  dans  Vouest  et 

dans  le  sud  de  VAmerique  Septentrionale,  1614-1754. 
[Edited  by  Pierre  Magry]  6  vols.  Paris,  1876-1886. 
A  very  valuable  historical  quarry.  Still,  though  ofiB- 
cially  declared  completed,  this  work  has  neither  al- 
phabetical index  nor  atlas  of  maps,  which  much 
detracts  from  its  completeness  and  availability. 

5.  The  Expedition  of  Don  Diego  Dionisio  de  Penalosa — from 

Santa  Fe  to  the  river  Mischipi  and  Quivera  in  1662. 
Edited  by  John  G .  Shea  and  first  published  by  him, 
New  York,  1882. 

6.  Voyages  of  Peter  Esprit  Radisson,   1652   to    168Jf.      First 

published  by  the  Prince  Society,  Boston,  1885. 

7.  The  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America.     Edited  by 

Justin  Winsor,  Librarian  of  Harvard  University.  8 
volumes,  Boston,  1884-1889.  This  work,  like  the  Jes- 
uit Relations,  is  a  cyclopedic  one  and  a  true  thesaurus. 


THE  FRENCH  ACCOUNTS  CONTINUED.  95 

On  examining  the  above  dates  of  imprint  it  "will  be  seen 
that  a  man  writing  thirty-seven  years  ago  on  the  histori- 
cal geography  of  the  Mississippi  valley  would  have  now, 
if  living,  and  jealous  of  his  credit,  to  re-write  his  whole 
work;  in  view  of  the  new  facts  brought  to  light  by  the  first 
six  of  these  publications.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  efforts 
now  being  made  to  unearth  manuscripts  and  maps  of  the 
time  of  Columbus,  hitherto  unknown  or  known  and  lost, 
referring  to  the  discovery  of  the  New  World  may  be  suc- 
cessful. And  it  is  also  much  to  be  desired  that  such  search- 
ing should  not  stop  there,  but  be  continued  with  a  view  to 
finding  like  valuable  papers  concerning  the  voyages  and 
expeditions  of  the  Spaniards  to  and  in  North  America  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  concerning  their  subsequent 
doings  at  the  forts  and  missionary  stations  which  they 
maintained  there,  particularly  on  the  coasts  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  and  the  Atlantic  ocean. 


SUB-DIVISION  SIXTH. 


EARLY  TERRITORIAL  CLAIMS;  EXTENT  OP  CANADA 
AND  LOUISIANA;  TRANSFER  OP  LOUISIANA  BY 
PRANCE  TO  SPAIN;  BOUNDARY  BETWEEN  PRENCH 
AND  ENGLISH  POSSESSIONS;  WESTERN  BOUND- 
ARY OP  THE  UNITED  STATES;  TRANSPFR  OF 
LOUISIANA  BY  SPAIN  TO  PRANCE;  CESSION  BY 
PRANCE  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA; 
INDIAN  OCCUPANCY,  TRADITIONS  AND  WARS; 
CAPTAIN  CARVERS  TRAVELS;  THE  JOURNEY  OP 
DAVID  THOMPSON. 


It  is  a  somewhat  difficult  matter  to  properly  formulate 
the  political  geography  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  Prior  to 
the  nineteenth  century,  the  interior  of  the  country  was  so 
little  known  that  grants  were  made,  and  claims  founded  or 
decided,  on  such  definitions  of  territory  or  descriptions  of 
lines  as  now  appear  vague  in  the  extreme. 

Spain,  by  virtue  of  the  discoveries  of  Columbus  and 
others,  confirmed  to  her  by  papal  grant,  may  be  said  to 
have  been  the  first  European  owner  of  the  entire  valley  of 
the  Mississippi;  but  she  never  took  formal  possession  of 
this  part  of  her  dominions  other  than  _that  incidentally  in- 
volved in  Soto's  doings.     The  feeble  objections  which  she 


KAKLV    TKlUilTOKlAI.    ri.AlMS.  97 

made,  in  the  next  two  centuries  after  the  discovery,  to  other 
nations  explorln*^  and  settling  Nortli  America,  were  suc- 
cessfully overcome  by  the  force  of  acconii)lishod  facts. 

The  name  of  Florida,  now  so  limited  in  its  application, 
was  tirst  applied  by  the  Si)aniards  to  the  greater  ])art  of  the 
eastern  half  of  North  America,  commencing  at  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  proceeding  northward  indefinitely.  This  ex- 
l)ansiveness  of  geographical  view,  was  paralleled  later  by 
the  definition  of  a  new  France  of  still  greater  extent,  which 
practically  included  all  the  continent.' 

Judging  also  by  the  various  grants  to  individuals,  noble 
or  otherwise,  and  "companies.  '  which  gave  away  the 
country  in  latitudinal  strips  extending  from  the  Atlantic 
westward,  the  English  were  not  far  behind  the  Spaniards 
and  French  in  this  kind  of  effrontery — not  dead  even  yet.  it 
would  appear,  if  Africa  be  looked  at.  As  English  colonists 
never  settled  on  the  Mississippi  river  in  pursuance  of  such 
grants,  and  never  performed  any  acts  of  authority  there, 
such  shadowy  sovereignties  may  be  disregarded  here,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  considered  necessary,  many 
years  later,  for  various  states  concerned  to  convey  to  the 
United  States  their  rights  to  territory  which  they  nevt-r 
owned  nor  ruled  over. 

Thus,  in  the  most  arbitrary  manner,   did  the  Mississippi 


1.  Pieur  (le  la  Koche  was  apiiointcd  .Tamiary  1:.'.  151)8,  LU'iilcnatil-Cienoial  of 
•"Canada,  llocliela^'a.  NewfouiicllHiid,  I.al)rad()r,  the  rivet-  of  tin-  i;reat  bay  of 
Norernbeiiue,  and  llie  lands  adjacent  to  the  said  ptovinces  and  rivers  whicli  art; 
the  whole  length  and  depth  of  tlie  eountry.  provided  they  ari,'  not  inhabited  l)y 
the  sul)jects  of  any  other  Christian  I'rinee." 

L'Esearbot,  in  his  history  of  New  France,  written  in  161T.  says  in  reference  to  this; 
'"Thus,  onr  Canada  has  for  its  linilts  on  the  west  side  the  lands  as  far  as  the  sea 
called  the  Pacific,  on  this  side  of  the  Tropic  of  Cancer;  on  the  sontli  the  islands 
of  the  Atlantic  sea  in  the  direction  of  Cuba  and  the  Spanish  island;  on  tlieeast 
the  northern  sea  which  bathes  New  France;  and  on  the  north  the  land,  said  to  be 
unl<nown,  towards  tlie  icy  sea  as  far  as  the  arctic  pole." 
-7 


96  Tin;  mississiimm   uivkk  and  its  soi'iiCK. 

river,  11ioii«,''li  y«'t  inilciiown.  Ix'corTH'  tin-  i)ro|)«?rty  siu^cos- 
sivoly  of  ilic  II)(M-i;iii,  (raulis}i  and  Aiiprlo  Suxon  rJWtGH — 
of  lhro(!  p«oplos  who.  in  laU'r  timos.  by  <liplf)ina<'y  and 
force  of  arms.  stru«i'«?U!d  lov  an  actual  octcupancy.  Prac- 
tically however  the  ujiper  Missi.ssi])pi  valley  may  bo  con- 
siclerod  as  havinj^  been  in  th»!  tirsl  place  Canadian  soil  ; 
frr  il  was  Fren(dimen  from  Canada  who  first  visited  it 
;  lid  traded  with  its  vaiious  native  iidiabitants.  The  fui-- 
Ihcr  prosecution  of  his  discoveries  by  La  SalU;  in  HWl' 
extended  (!ana(hi  as  a  Fren(;h  possession  to  the  (rulf  of 
Mexico,  thouf,'h  h(!  did  not  u.se  the  name  of  Canada,  nor 
yet  that  of  New  Franco.  He  preferred  to  call  the  entire 
country  watered  y)y  the  Mississippi  river  and  its  tribu 
taries.  from  its  utmost  sources  to  its  mouth,  by  the  new 
nam(»  lie  had  already  invented   for  the  j)ur])ose   -Louisiana. 

Tlie  names  of  Canada  and  New  France  had  been  inditl'er- 
ently  used  to  express  about  the  same  extent  of  territory. 
but  the  new  name  of  Louisiana  now  came  to  supercede 
them  in  beini?  applied  to  the  conjectural  rej^ions  to  the 
W(!st.  Althou<<h  La  Salle  had  applietl  the  latter  expres- 
sion to  the  entire  valley  of  the  Mi.ssi.ssippi,  it  was  not 
generally  used  in  that  sense  after  his  time ;  the  upper 
part  of  the  region  was  called  Canada  and  the  low(!r  Lou 
isiana;  but  any  actual  dividing  line  between  the  two 
provinces  was  not  absolutely  established,  and  their  names 
and  boundaries  were  v(>ry  variously  indicated  on  pub- 
lished maps. 

In  1712,  when  a  patimt  was  granted  to  M.  Crozat  by 
the  French  government,  the  first  authoritative  definition 
was  made,  by  describing  the  territory  in  which  he  was 
empowered    k)  trade  ;   though   the   right   was  reserved    to 


KAUI.V    'IKltmiOICIAL   (Jl.AIMS.  WO 

incroaso,  if  thou^^'lit  proper,  thn  oxU-iit of  the  ;r()vcriim»'rit 
of  Louisiuna.  As  n-j^ardod  tlu^  Mississijtpi  moro  parti- 
cularly, thf  proviiKM!  <'x1oiui(>(l  frotn  tln^  sea  shorn  on  the 
(iiiir  of  Mexico  to  tho  Illinois  (country)  and  included  all 
llic  basin  of  llie  Ohio  to  tlu'  east  and  that  of  tins  Mis- 
souri to  tlui  \v«'st.  In  1717,  was  add<'d  hy  the  •govern- 
ment- the  country  of  the  savaj^os  called  the  Illinois.  Speak- 
inif  «fnnorally,  the  (JaiKuhi  of  the  last  century  included 
the  (ireat  Lakes,  and  the  country  drained  by  thoir  ti'ibu- 
tai'ies ;  the  northcM'ti  one-fourth  of  th(»  ])re.sent  Slate  of 
Illinois,  i.  e.  so  much  as  lies  north  of  tho  mouth  of  Kock 
river  ;  all  the  I'c^^ions  lyin<r  north  of  the  nortluM-n  watei-- 
shed  of  tho  Missouri  rivor;  and.  finally,  the  valley  of  tho 
ui)per  Mis.souri  itself,  whei'o  it  was  explored  by  the  Ver- 
endryos  for  some  iinkown  distanc;(^  above  iitid  l)elow  ilio 
country  of  tho  Mandans. 

Hai"d  pressed  by  the  English  dui'in*^  the  Seven  N'ears' 
War.  Franco  found  Louisiana  too  heavy  a  burden  to  carry 
alone  any  lonf^or.  In  October.  17r)I,  she;  solicited  aid  in  money 
and  suj)plies  frotn  Spain,  but  the  iattei'  p(jwer  did  noth- 
;n<^  mori!  at  th*;  time  than  to  tak«!  the  matter  into  con- 
sideration The  next  important  stei)  was  the  Preliminary 
Treaty  of  Peace.  si«^ned  by  P-inj^land.  France,  and  Spain, 
at  Fontainebleau,  on  November  ;>.  17()L*.  In  tho  sixth 
article  of  this  treaty  it  was  ■'a^'i-ei>d  tliat  for  the  future 
the  limits  between  the  jxjssessions  of  his  Most  Christian 
Majesty  and  those  of  his  Bi-itannic  xMajesly  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  shall  be  irrevocably  fixed  Vjy  a  line  drawn 
along  the  middle  of  the  river  Mississippi,  from  its  source 
to  the  river  Iberville,  and  from  thenc(!  by  a  line  in  the 
middle   of    that   stream    and   of    the    lakes    Maurepas   and 


UX)  TIIK    MISSISSIIMM    UIVKK    AM)    ITS    SOl'ICCK. 

I*()nlchar1niin   to  the  sua."     Tho  nineteenth  article  read 
'•His  Catholic  Majesty  cedes  and   "guarantees,    in  absolute 
ownership  to  his  Hi-itannic  Majesty,  all  that  Spain  i)ossesses 
on  the  continent  of  North  America,  to  the  east  or  southeast 
of  the  Mississippi." 

On  this  very  day.  November  3.  17():2,  the  Premth  and  Span- 
ish plenipotentiaries  signed  another  act.  by  which  tlie 
PrencVi  king  ••ceded  to  his  Cousin  of  Spain  and  his  succes- 
sors, forever.  •*  *  *  all  the  country  known  by  the  name 
of  Louisiana,  includintr  New  Orleans  and  the  island  on  which 
that  city  in  situated.  ■  The  Spanish  k\n^  accepted  the  <;ift 
on  the  i;5tli  of  the  same  month,  but  both  donation  and  a<'cept- 
ance  were  kept  secret  by  the  two  powers. 

On  Iho  10th  of  February,  ITGii,  the  definitive  treaty  of 
peace  was  sij^ued.  on  the  part  of  the  kings  of  Spain  and 
France  on  the  one  side,  and  the  king  of  Great  Britain  on  the 
other,  Portugal  consenting.  The  seventh  article  of  this 
treaty  repeats  literally  the  wording  used  in  the  preliminary 
treaty,  as  to  limits  between  the  poj^sessions  of  the  Frt'iich 
and  Engli;;h  in  North  America. 

Having  now  obtained  possession  of  eastern  Louisiana  and 
Canada,  the  king  of  Great  Britain  at  once  proceeded  to 
divide  his  new  acriuisitions  into  provinces.  Among  them 
were  East  and  West  Florida,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
31st  parallel  of  latitude.  Understanding  that  there  were  yet 
settlements  \o  the  northward  of  this  line,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Mississippi  river,  he  substituted  for  it,  in  the  next  year, 
another  line  in  order  to  include  them;  which  line  commenced 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo  river  and  ran  thence  due  east. 

As  regards  the  country  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and 
that  between  it  and  the  Iberville,  it  was  not  until  April  21, 


EAULY  TKKrtrTOI{l.\r.   cr.AIMS.  101 

17»U.  that  the  king  of  FraiuM'  oHicially  notiticd  his  govt»nior 
at  New  Oi'loans  of  thocossiou  of  Louisiana  to  Spain,  mado 
nearly  two  y«>ars  before.  Th«'  Spaniards  wcif  also  dihitory 
and  did  not  actually  arrivt'  at  that  city  to  take  possession  of 
their  new  dominion  before  the  early  part  of  ITtUi. » 

The  United  States  of  Norlli  America  next  came  on  the  scone, 
as  successors  of  Old  P^njjrland  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
The  Provisional  Articles  of  Peace  between  the  two  nations 
were  signed  at  Paris  on  November  JIC,  17Hi'.  \iy  the  second 
article,  the  western  part  of  tlu;  boundaries  of  the  territory  of 
the  new  republic  was  defined  as  a  line  which  should  run  from 
the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  tht?  Woods  "on  a 
due  west  course  to  the  river  Mississippi;'  thence  by  a  line  to 
be  drnwn  along  the  middle  of  the  said  river  Mississippi  until 
it  shall  intersect  the  northernmost  part  of  the  thirty-first  de- 
gree of  north  latitude.  South  by  a  line  to  be  drawn  due  east 
from  the  line  last  mentioned  in  the  latitude  of  thirty-one  de- 
grees north  of  the  Equator,  to  the  middle  of  the  river  Apa- 
lachicola  or  Catahouche. "   etc.      There  was  also  a  .separate 

Kieueral  CoUot  (1796),  in  his  VDiinue  ilatis  V  Aineririur.  writes  ;is  fdllows: 
"As  Enjjliind  at  llit,' tiino  of  tlio  peact' of  17r>.i  ('(nild  nut  claidi  the  possession  of 
Louisiana  for  iH-rself,  she  was  well  satisfied  to  see  ilsowneisliip  pas>  into  the  liands 
of  Spain.  Siie  felt  assured  tliat  the  Spaiiisli  government  was  le^.Nfit  tlian  I  lie  rrench 
one  to  develope  the  resources  of  this  vast  eountry.  which  she  herself  was  anxious 
to  turn  to  advantage,  and  that  the  former  wcuild  he  least  in  her  w  ay  in  that  respect, 
iind  in  the  desiiru  shedoubtless  entertained  toultimately  nMider herself  mistressof 
the  entire  territory." 

2  In  Robert  Rogers'  account  of  North  America.  17(i.">.  is  found  t  lie  statement  that 
this  river  [Mississippi]  "takes  its  rise  at  the  southerly  piirt  of  the  Central  Moun- 
tains, upwards  of  3.(KK)  miles,  as  the  river  runs,  from  its  mouth  at  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Its  hijjhesi,  .source  is  a  lake  of  considerable  bl^rness,  opp()>ite  to.  or  north- 
west of  which  Is  a  notch  or  opening:  in  the  mimntain  from  wliieh  a  lar^e  stream 
Hows  to  the  lake,  carryiuj;  with  It  a  red.  sulphurous  sulJstanct':  on  which  account 
this  is  called  tlie  Red  lake.  The  course  of  the  Mississippi  frotn  the  Red  lake  is 
nearly  .southwest  for  upwards  of  two  hundred  miles,  where  it  is  joined  by  a  smaller 
stream  from  tiie  westward,  and  its  course  is  turned  nearly  southeast  for  more 
than  three  hundred  miles,  when  it  Is  joined  by  the  Muddy  river,  and  later  that  of 
anutker.  not  so  larjje,  Howlng  to  it  from  the  northeast." 


102  THK    MISSISSIIMM    lUVKU    AND    ITS   SOUKC'K. 

article  iittadu'd  to  tliis  treaty,  which  proN  kh'd  'that  in  case 
(Jreut  Hiitiiiii,  at  the  conclusion  of  th«' present  war.  shiiU 
I'ecover  or  l)c  juit  in  possession  of  West  Floritla,  the  line  of 
north  lx)untiary  between  the  said  i»rovince  and  tlie  United 
States,  shall  be  a  line  drawn  from  the  inoutli  of  the  river 
Yassoiis.  where  it  unites  with  tlu;  Mississippi,  due  east,  to 
the  river  Apalachicola. " 

The  thiril  article  of  the  I'reliininary  Articles  '»<*  Peace  be- 
tween (Jreat  liritain  and  Spain,  dated  January  -0,  17K},  says 
that  "His  Hritannic  Majesty  shall  cede  Eastern  Florida  to 
his  Catholic  Majesty,  and  his  said  Ci'tholic  Majesty  shall 
retain   Western    Florida." 

The  Definitive  Tn^aties  ol  Peace  between  (ireat  Britain 
and  the  United  States,  and  between  G)oat  Britain  and 
Spain,  were  both  si«,'ned  on  September  :J.  iT^ti,  the  first  at 
Paris,  the  second  at  Versailles.  In  the  former  treaty  the 
boundaries  of  tlie  United  states  are  repeated  as  they  api)ear 
in  the  Provisional  Articles  already  cited.  In  like  manner 
no  change  was  made  in  the  wording  of  the  Spanish  treaty, 
in  which  the  Floridas  were  ceded  to  Spain  without  any 
detinitit)n  of  limits  whatever.  Seeing  that  the  northern 
boundary  of  these  jirovinces  had  years  before  then  been 
moved  northward  from  latitude  iil"  to  the  Yazoo  river,  as 
previously  stated.  Spain  naturally  had  a  right  to  feel  ag- 
grieved; for  such  a  double  gift  of  the  same  land  as  was 
involved  in  the.se  two  treaties,  whether  meant  or  not,  was 
sowing  dragons'  teeth  for  a  future  crop  of  armed  men. 

From  this  time  on  the  political  affairs  of  the  lower  Missis- 
sippi country  became  exceedingly  complicated.     The  Span 
iards,    still   the  rightful  owners  of   the  left  bank  of   the 
Mississippi — so  far    as    governmental   treaties  can  confer 


EAULY    TKKUITOUIAL   (LA  I  MS.  H>:{ 

rij?ht — woro  roluctant  to  abandon  territory  of  which  tln\v 
were  in  actual  possession.  They  thoujfht  that  tliere  nii;rht 
be  a  new  Dcchiratioii  of  Itulcpendence  west  of  the  Alle- 
^hanies,  and  that  the  K«>ntuckians  miirht  he  induced  to 
beconm  the  friends  of  Spain  as  a  repubUc  separate  from 
that  of  tlie  United  States — or  i)ossibly  even  joju  themselves 
to  her  outright;  but  all  intrigues  between  apprehensive 
Spaniards  and  ambitious  Americans  looking'  towards  such 
ends  came  to  nothing. 

On  U(.'tober  1'7,  17U5.  Spain  and  the  United  States  entei-cd 
into  a  "Treaty  of  Friendship.  Limits  and  Navigation."  in 
which  it  was  agreed  that  the  boundary  between  the 
Ploridas  and  the  possessions  of  the  liepublic  should  be  at 
the  northermost  part  of  the  thirty-first  degree  of  latitude, 
then  due  east  etc.;  and  that  any  troops,  garrison  or  settle- 
ments, on  either  side  of  said  line  should  be  withdrawn 
within  six  months,  or  sooner  if  possible,  after  tlie  ratifica- 
tion of  the  said  treaty.  The  treat}',  after  the  various  neces- 
sary ratifications,  wa.-.  proclaimed  on  August  1',  179t).  Tlie 
Spanish  authorities  however  sliowed  no  alacrity  in  comjjly- 
ing  with  this  provision,  and  it  was  not  until  they  wen» 
threatened  by  the  forces  of  the  United  States  with  a  set 
attack,  in  17i)7.  that  theii'  troops  evacuated  th»^  posts  held 
by  them;  and  Natchez,  with  all  the  eastern  part  of  the 
valley  north  of  the  thirty-first  parallel,  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Americans,  without  a  blow  having  been  struck. 

It  is  now  clearly  seen  that  the  affairs  of  the  Old  World 
had  much   to  do    with    transfers  of    colonial    possessions 
between   European    powers,    and  that   American  countries 
were  apparently  but  distant  pawns  on  the  • '  political  chess 
board,"  which  could   be   sacrificed    to   subserve   important 


104  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

moves.  Tlio  Corsican  soldier  Bonaparte,  First  Consul  of 
the  French  Republic,  began  to  unsettle  the  boundaries  and 
names  of  Italian  and  other  European  states,  and  so  it  hap- 
pened that  the  name  of  far-otf  Louisiana  was  brought  into 
conjunction  with  the  dignified  appellations  of  Tuscany  and 
Parma.  Secretly  as  Spain  had  received  from  France  in 
1762  the  immense  but  ind'3tinite  territory  of  Louisiana  did 
she  give  it  back  again  to  the  donor.  The  <.reaty  of  San 
Ildefonso  was  signed  on  October  1,  IHOO.  and  by  its  third 
article  it  retroceded  to  France,  six  months  after  certain 
stipulations  concerning  the  "kingdom  of  Etruria"  should 
have  been  complied  with,  the  colony  or  province  of  Lou- 
isiana, "with  the  same  extent  that  it  now  has  in  the  hands 
of  Spain,  and  that  it  had  when  France  possessed  it."  The 
fact  of  this  second  transf  ■  of  the  Mississippi  valley  leaked 
out  very  gradually,  but  within  two  years  it  had  become,  to 
statesmen,  a  good  instance  of  an  open  secret. 

Time  flowed  on  now  for  a  year  or  two  without  any  striking 
event  occurring  in  connection  with  the  Mississippi  valley. 
In  Europe  there  was  a  lull  in  the  storm  of  war  ;  for  the 
Treaty  of  Amiens  was  signed  March  27.  1802.  and  France 
and  England  were  at  peace  for  a  short  time  again.  On 
July  22,  1802,  the  First  Consul  stipulated  to  Spain  that  France 
would  never  sell  nor  alienate  Louisiana — a  jjolitical  promise 
which  he  had  later  to  break,  facts  being  more  stubborn 
things  than  even  arbitrary  First  Consuls.  Toward  the  end 
of  this  year,  the  Spanish  authorities  at  New  Orleans 
imprudently  took  away  from  the  Americans  the  right  of 
deposit  at  that  city — i.  e.  the  right  of  landing  and  storing 
merchandise  there — without  designating  any  other  point 
where  this  might  be  done.      Such  bad  faith  incensed  the 


KAKLY    TKKRITOUIAL   CLAIMS.  105 

people  of  the  United  States,  and  a  cry  arose  that  they 
should  forcibly  take  possession  of  New  Orleans  and  of  the 
outli^ts  to  the  sea  ;  in  fact  a  cry  for  war.  There  were  also 
spirited  debates  in  both  horses  of  Congress  as  to  what 
should  be  done,  but  their  action  fell  short  of  recommend injj;' 
immediate  resort  to  hostilities. 

The  executive  branch  of  the  government  of  course  fully 
sympathized  with  the  outraged  feelings  of  the  western 
people,  but  the  condition  of  affairs  was  peculiar.  Spain  yet 
garrisoned  New  Orleans,  and  was  still  both  actual  possessor 
and  titular  owner  of  what  remained  of  the  province  of  Lou 
isiana,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  had  bargained  all  of  it 
away  to  France,  except  wescern  Florida.  It  was  not  until 
the  26th  of  March.  Irt0;j,  two  years  and  a  half  after  the 
transfer,  that  the  colonial  prefect  Laussat  arrived  from 
Prance ;  but  no  troops  accompanied  him  or  were  sent  after 
him,  and  no  transfer  of  the  government  of  the  province 
could  yet  be  Laade  to  him. 

In  February  and  March,  the  President  of  the  United  States 
caused  representations  to  be  made  to  the  French  government 
concerning  the  matter,  specifically,  as  to  a  project  for  the 
annexation  of  the  Floridas  and  the  island  of  New  Orleans. 
The  American  plenipotentiaries  labored  hard  with  the 
French  ministers,  go-betweens  of  the  First  Consul,  but  little 
progress  was  made  till  Bonaparte  himself  astonished  the 
former  by  sending  word  that  he  would  sell  the  whole  of  the 
province  for  a  certain  consideration.  He  had  known  his 
own  mind  all  the  time.  Hostilities  with  England  were  im- 
minent, and  in  view  of  that  fact,  he  considered,  as  he  told  his 
ministers,  that  the  colony  was  entirely  lost,  and  therefore 
that  it  would  be  more  useful  to  France  in  the  hands  of  the 


106  THK    MISSISSIPIM    HIVEK    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

Americans  than  if  he  attempted  to  keep  it,  for  the  En<i:lish 
would  at  once  seize  it.  as  he  naturall}^  supposed,  on  the 
renewal  of  tlie  war.  Having-  to  fij^lit  with  a  rich  nation 
liowever  he  wished  to  obtain  as  much  money  from  the  jiur- 
chasers  as  possible.  The  treaty  of  cession  was  signed  on 
April  .-50.  1H03.  and  on  the  18th  of  May  England  declared  war 
against  France;  so  there  had  really  been  no  time  to  lose. 
The  former  government  had,  however,  expressed  to  the 
American  embassador  their  complete  willingness  to  see  the 
United  States  obtain  possession  of  Louisiana. 

On  the  18th  of  May  also,  as  it  happened,  the  Spanish  com- 
missioners, appointed  to  deliver  the  province  to  France,  is- 
sued a  proclamation  at  New  Orleans.  It  was  stated  that  the 
limits  on  both  sides  of  the  river  St.  Louis  or  Mississippi  should 
continue  as  they  remained  by  the  fifth  article  of  the  Definitive 
Treaty  of  Peace  of  December  10.  1763.  so  that  the  settlements 
from  Bayou  Manchac  to  the  line  separating  the  dominions  of 
Spain  and  those  of  the  United  States  should  remain  a  part  of 
the  monarchy  of  Spain,  and  be  annexed  to  the  province  of 
"^^'est  Florida.  The  Spanish  government  did  not  relish  this 
alienation  of  Louisiana  by  France,  and  protested  against  it. 

They  comi)lained  that  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  of 
San  Ildefonso  had  not  been  complied  with;  but  all  to  no 
effect,  and  there  the  matter  rested.  Spain  had  seen  her  best 
days,  and  was  now  more  of  a  lamb  than  the  wolf  she  had 
been  for  centuries.  On  June  1,  the  prefect  referred  to  was 
appointed  commissioner  on  the  part  of  France  to  receivt 
possession  of  Louisiana  from  the  Spanish  commissioners  and 
deliver  it  to  those  of  the  United  States.  By  the  end  of 
October  the  ' '  Louisiana  Purchase"  w^as  consummated  by  the 
action  of  the  U.  S.  Senate.     On  November  80.  the  ceremonv 


KAliLV    TERRITORIAL   CLAIMS.  10? 

of  the  formal  transfer  of  the  province  from  Spain  to  FVance 
took  place  at  New  Orleans,  and  on  December  ilO,  that  from 
France  to  the  United  States. 

All  that  remained  now  of  the  Mississippi  river'  which  any 
foreign  power  could  claim  to  possess,  was  200  miles  of  its 
left  bank  between  the  31st  parallel  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Iberville.  This,  as  a  part  of  its  province  of  West  Florida, 
Spain  still  clung  to  tenaciously,  in  spite  of  the  evident  feel- 
ings of  the  Americans  concerning  the  "manifest  destiny"  of 
their  republic. 

By  virtue  of  a  proclamation  dated  October  27,  1810,  the 
President  directed  that  possession  should  be  taken  of  the 
territory  south  of  the  Mississippi  territory,  and  eastward  of 
the  river  Mississippi,  and  extending  to  the  river  Perdido. 

The  acts  of  Congress  passed  in  1811  and  1813,  authorizing 
the  seizure  of  the  Floridas  in  certain  contingencies,  and  the 
ruthless  invasion  of  eastern  Florida  in  1816  by  General 
Jackson  and  his  Tennesseans,  followed  by  the  cajiture  of 
fortified  places  there  held  by  the  Crown  of  Spain,  with 
which  at  the  time  the  United  States  were  at  peace,  were  the 
beginning  of  the  end.  By  the  treaty  signed  February  22, 
1819,  the  Spanish  government  ceded  to  that  of  the  United 
States  about  all  that  was  left  to  it  of  the  ancient  province  of 
Florida;  the  formal  surrender  of  the  land  itself  was  made  at. 
Pensacola  on  the  21st  of  July,  1821.  Now  it  was  that  actual 
control  of  the  Mississippi  river,  from  its  source  to  its  mouth. 


1  That  the  Kovcriiment  of  tl;e  United  St.ates  w;i.s  curious  .bout  the  bouiuliiry 
question  is  shown  by  tlie  instructions  of  Thomas  .letferson  to  Capt.  Lewis,  the  lioad 
of  tlie  Missouri  Kivi-r  Expedition  of  180:^,  for  lie  recjuested  inforin'ation  concerning 
the  country  contiguous  to  that  traversed.  Mr.  .letferson  said:  ''If  you  can  learn 
anything  certain  of  the  most  nortliern  source  of  tlie  Mississippi,  and  of  its  position 
relative  to  the  Lal<e  of  the  Woods,  it  will  be  interesting  to  us." 


108  THK    MIi^iSISSIIMM    KIVEU    AND    ITS    SOUUCE. 

for  the  first  time  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  government  fully 
competent  to  maintain  itself  a<i:ainst  all  comers. ' 

T]iou<rh  forty  years  later  the  authority  of  the  United 
States  on  the  waters  below  the  Ohio  was  set  at  defiance 
through  a  formidable  civil  war — when  the  river  "rained 
bullets."  as  prophesied  by  an  American  statesman  years  1  >•- 
fore — yet  it  was  but  for  a  short  time.  It  is  to  be  hoped  tliat 
future  generations  may  not  behold  the  disintegration  or 
overthrow  of  the  republic,  nor  the  transfer  of  the  historic 
valley  of  the  great  river  to  another  and  less  worthy  su- 
premacy. 

*      * 

Abstract,  aboriginal  and  pre-historic-  <]uestions  would, 
however  interesting,  be  out  of  place  in  an  examination  of 


1  Extfiu  t  from  llu'  ^pfccli  <if  Ituiiifl  Wchstcr  in  t  he  f.  S.  Senate.  Marcli  7.  IWiO.  on 
t)iL'  Slavery  Coniproniise. 

'•Sir,  u  )tKKly  can  1(K)1<  over  the  face  of  tliis  country  at  the  presetit  nioinent— no- 
body ean  see  where  its  population  is  most  dense  and  jirowin^r.  without  being  reatly 
tt)  admit,  and  eompelled  to  admit,  tliat  ere  long  America  will  be  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi." 

2  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  immediatt-  valley  of  the  Mississippi  river  supported, 
in  pre-hlst4)rie  times,  u  far  more  numerous  population  tlian  was  found  there  by 
tlie  first  explorers  of  o\ir  modern  epoeh.  Who  these  peojjle  were,  it  is  impossible 
to  state. 

Wlietlier  a  number  of  warrinj;  tribes.  i'a<-li  independent  of  their  neijciil>or,  or 
nations  livinj;  under  one  or  more  semi-l>arl)arniis  '<ut  well  orL'anized  governments 
similar  totiiose  of  Mexico  or  Peru,  or  otherwise,  is  problematic  hardly  proper  to 
consider  as  a  f;<-'<'^''iil>''i«!il  question. 

The  evidences  of  the  e.xisti-nce  of  the  human  race  in  pre-historic  times  is  every- 
wlu're  met  by  those  v>  lio  search  for  tlieru.  Tlie  most  strikinK  feature  to  be  found 
is  the  mounds  of  earth,  artificially  shaped,  which  are  not  easily  overlooked,  and 
wliicli  exist  all  the  way  from  Louisiana  to  Minnesota,  thoufrli  ditfering  much  in 
form,  si/e  and  style  in  dilTerent  localities.  Ordinary  tumuli  are  found  all  alonjr 
the  valley  and  for  tliat  reason  have  not  liad  much  systematic  attention  paid  to 
them  by  inquirers  in  searcli  of  In'ormation  concerning  the  same.  From  the  lower 
Red  river  to  the  lllint)is.  is  found  a  class  of  mounds  flattened  on  top  with  rectan- 
gular bases,  often  witli  upper  and  lower  summits,  and  with  broad  approaches  whicli 
are  styled  platform  or  temple  mounds;  but  above  those  well  known  ones  on  the 
Illinois  bottoms  at  Cahokia,  earth  strnctures  of  this  class  are  not  often  niet- 
Beyond  tliem.  bejrinning  somewhere  above  tlie  Rock  river,  commence  the  still 
more  mysterious  remains  known  as  imitative  or  i-ffigy  mounds,  k)w  heaps  of  earth 
constructed,  umluiilitedly.  to  represent  in  their  ground  plan,  animated  beings  of 


EAULY    Ti:illiITORIAL   CLAIMS.  10i> 

the  present  character.  The  time  is  past  when  the  aborigines 
are  needed,  or  their  aid  required  for  reliable  geographic 
facts;  indeed,  as  a  rule.  Indian  maps  have  always  been  but 
distortions.  When  first  known  in  history,  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi  were  peopled  nearly  its  entire  length.  Those 
people  had  stamped  upon  their  countenances  the  color  of 
their  origin,  and  as  they  probably  floated  across  the  Pacific 
Ocean  and  reached  the  coast  of  the  New  World,  that  color 
indicating  their  mental  capacity  precluded  the  ])ossibility 
of  their  grasping  opportunities,  not  yet  fully  availed  of  by 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race. 

Those  people,  by  instinct  and  nature,  at  long  continued 
warfare,  adopted  habits  in  the  northwest,  and  those  habits 
made  the  limber  line  a  division  line  between  the  contending 

various  kinds  and  oven  weapons  of  war.  Tlu-sc  I'tliiry  mounds  have  l)een  jjroved 
l)y  Prof.  T.  H.  Ltnvis— wlio  lias  of  late  years  made  a  special  study  of  the  sul),ieet  — 
t4)  extend  up  the  Mississippi  nearly,  if  not  <iuite  to  tlie  St.  Croix  and  l)eyond  that 
point;  butbai'kin  tlie  interior  at  considerable  distances,  lie  lias  found  isolated 
specimens  widely  separated  from  each  other,  as  far  to  the  northward  as  the  valley 
of  the  Crow  Win^  river.  Stone  graves  iind  fort.s  are  found  in  tlie  latitude  of 
southern  Illinois,  not  very  far  from  tlie  Mississip])!.  Or'dinary  villa.ue  sites  and 
shell  heaps  are  at  places  thickly  strewn  alonir  the  lianks  of  the  river,  and  at  very 
many  points  where  the  rock  formations  arc  exposed  tin'  early  inhabitants  left 
their  syniliolical  iiiarkinirs  engraved  or  painti'd  on  clills  or  in  (  a\  cs.  All  these 
thinjis  denote  many  i)eo|)le  in  the  valley  of  tlu'  Mississippi  for  a  moderate  time,  or 
a  much  smaller  nuniber  living  there  for  a  much  longer  tiim:— proliably  an  occu- 
pancy in  all  of  more  than  scores  of  eeimiries— but  this  nuest  Ion  must  be  left  for  a 
decision,  if  ever  decided,  to  the  facts  to  be  derived  from  gratlual  and  painstaking 
investigation  and  research  One  thing  is  certain,  that  as  regards  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi, at  h'.ist,  i:i  the  time  of  the  earliest  explorers  refcrreil  to,  tumuli,  etflgies, 
shell  heaps  and  village  sites  had  all  long  tjeeii  forgotten  and  beome  unknown  to 
the  Indians  of  the  day.  who  only  knew  of  some  of  the  grotesque  figures  d.'awn  on 
the  rocks  by  reason  of  the  ini|)rol)abilliy  of  overlooking  them  and  who  knew 
nothing  of  their  origin,  l)ut  were  inclined  to  think  them  of  super-natural  import, 
and  accustomed  to  make  otTeiings  to  them  in  passing. 

Between  ihe  mouth  of  the  Rum  river  of  Minnesota  and  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Arkansas  river,  the  French  traders  or  missionaries  found  no  Indian  tribes  or 
nations  living  permanently  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  At  that  time,  the 
river  had  ceased  to  be  a  safe  dwelling  place  for  pacific  and  sedentary  natives,  and 
those  Indians  who  did  go  upon  the  waters  of  that  portion  of  the  river,  went  in  the 
full  force  of  thi'ir  tribe  to  hunt  as  they  travelled,  or  in  smaller  bands  as  war 
parties.    In  other  words,  the  Mississippi  river  was  then  practically  a  solitude. 


110  THK    MISSISSIIMM    KMVKU   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

tribes.  The  timber  lino  in  the  process  of  natural  t?rowths. 
reaches  from  the  southeast  to  the  northwest,  dividinjr  the 
j^reat  plains  from  the  great  forests.  Itasca  lake  is  on  the 
southern  border  of  that  «i!:reat  forest;  conseciuontly.  the  local- 
ity ultimately  became  Ojibway  territory,  and  the  Dakotas 
w«;re  their  warring  neighbors  of  the  extensive  prairies  im 
mediately  to  the  southwest,  known  in  later  years  as  "the 
plains."  From  these  Indians,  the  tirst  direct  information 
was  gained  concerning  the  .source  of  the  river,  crude,  un- 
certain, but  now  interesting. 

The  Spanish  and  French  maps  bear  earmarks  of  informa- 
tion communicated  by  Indians,  coupled  with  the  accuracy 
and  improvement  of  civilized  observation,  until  the  days  of 
M.  Nicollet,  in  1830.  when  the  first  exhaustive  chart  of  the 
upper  waters  of  the  Mississippi  was  constructed  and  he, 
too,  depended  largely  upon  semi-civilized'  knowledge. 
Accurate  and  detailed  governmental  surveys  in  the  field 
from  1848  to  187.',  by  six  mile  square  townships  immediate- 
ly superceded  Nicollet's  chart,  to  and  including  Itasca  and 
Elk  lakes.  Yet  in  1881,  ther»'  was  a  crude  ma]^  of  the 
Itasca  Basin  constructed  by  an  Ojibway  Indian,  from  mem- 
ory, and  in  ignorance  of  the  existence  of  governmental 
stakes,  witness  trees  and  land  marks,  then  standing  in  plain 
sight  on  the  shores  of  Itasca  and  Elk  lakes.  This  Indian 
map.  a  geographical  curiosity,  was  adopted  by  unscrupulous 
hands  and  foisted  ujion  the  geographical  world  as  indicating 
oiir/lna/  discovery  at  the  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

As  the  aboriginal  occupancy  of  the  locality  was  attended 
only  by  obscurity,   ignorance    and    barbarity,    there    is  no 


1.    Frt'iu'h  lialf-bloods.  and  often,  by  interpreCation.  those  wlm  were  stiU  fiirtlier 
removed  from  the  iulliienoes  of  eivilizod  information. 


KAUr,Y    TKRRITOKIAL   CLAIMS.  -  111 

record  from  wliich  to  describe  the  first  api)earance  of  unciv 
ilized  humanity  at  the  headwaters  of  the  river.  A  people 
not  competent  to  record  the  facts  of  history  and  render 
an  instructive  record  of  the  chain  of  discoveries,  have 
not  been  and  ought  not  to  be.  accorded  the  honors  of  dis- 
covery. That  Indian  tribes  were  the  only  pre-historic 
occupants  of  this  territory  is  not  entirely  certain. 

The  facts  of  record  indicate  the  territory  to  be  probably 
neutral  ground  (possibly  occupied  by  the  Sioux)  followed 
by  the  encroachments  of  the  Ojibways-  the  former  now^  dis- 
tinctively a  prairie  people  and  the  latter  as  distinctly  a 
people  of  the  woods.  The  con(iuests  botween  these  tribes- 
of  unknown  duration,  followed  by  a  series  of  Indian  treaties 
with  the  United  States,  constitutes  the  territory  at  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi  a  i)art  of  the  public  domain. 

As  to  actual  Indian  occupancy  and  possession,  the  record 
which  comes  down  to  us  is  by  no  .leans  clear,  and  any  state- 
ment concerning  the  same  must  be.  of  necessity,  based,  to  a 
considerable  extent,  upon  traditionary  information  from 
tribal  sources.  A  brief  reference  to  this  occupancy  is  given 
from  the  most  reliable  data  obtainable. 

The  ultimate  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  were  remote 
from  all  the  places  visited  by  the  early  French  traders  and 
missionaries  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  as  the  source 
was  unknown  to  them,  so  also  was  the  fact  whether  or  not 
thei'e  were  any  permanent  Indian  settlements  or  villages  in 
this  immediate  vicinity'. 

The  m  ips  and  books  of  the  times  of  the  earliest  discover- 
ies, do  not  justify  the  supposition  that  the  Itasca  Basin 
was  within  the  territory  of  the  Sioux,  whilst,  as  for  the 
Ojibvray  Indians,  they  were  then  no  nearer  the  Mississippi 


112  THE    MISSISSH'Pl    UIVKU    AM)    ITS    SOUIiCK. 

river  than  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary  at  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Superior.  As  between  the  Sioux  and  the  Ojibvvay  tribes 
and  the  tribes  of  savages  who  at  that  time  occupied  the  ter- 
ritory to  the  northward,  the  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
remote  and  isolated,  was  probably  intermediate  territory 
belon^inj?  to  no  particular  tribe  of  savages  and  claimed  by 
none. 

When  the  westward  migration  of  the  Ojibway  tribes 
(occurred,  is  not  very  clear,  but  migrate  they  did  in  that 
direction,  first  tarrying  for  a  long  lime  at  La  Pointe  until 
they  finally  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  closer  contact  with 
the  Sioux,  whom  they  had  fought  and  were  again  to  tight. 
This  Indian  war,  as  is  well  known,  was  maintained  for  gen- 
erations, until  the  time  when  the  whites  on  account  of  the 
Sioux  massacre  and  insurrection  of  1862,  drove  the  Sioux, 
then  living  no  farther  east  than  the  upper  Minnesota  river, 
out  of  the  reach  of  their  former  enemies  into  the  valley  of 
the  Missouri  river.  The  time  when  the  savage  hostilities 
between  the  Ojibway  and  the  Sioux  began,  is  not  certainly 
known.  Carver  was  told  tliat  it  had  already  lasted  forty 
years,  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  which  would  make  its  com- 
mencement about  172t). 

Warren,  in  his  history  of  the  Ojibway s,  derived  from  tra- 
ditional  sources,  writing  in  1852,  estimates  the  beginning  of 
the  war  upon  the  Sioux  at  Mille  Lacs,  to  have  been  five 
generations'  previous  to  that  time.  He  narrates  how  the 
Ojibway s  first  drove  the  Sioux,  by  hard  fighting,  from 
their  villages  on  Rum  river  and  Mille  Lacs  lake  and  its  vicin- 
ity; from  the  head  of  the  St.  Croix  river;  from  Sandy  Lake 
village;  from  the  neighborhood  of  Pokegama  falls;  from 
Lake    Winnibigoshish,    and    how   they   would  have  driven 


KAKI.V     I'KUUrroUlAI.    CLAIM!", 


li:{ 


them  Iroiii  Leuch  lakr  hud  not  tlic  Sioux,  by  nrcvious  w- 
tireraont.  savod  thorn  tlio  troubh'. 

There  is  nothing,'  i!i  the  rejwrts  of  the  traders  and  officers 
connected  with  the  Freni'h  iur  coni])anies  trading'  in  this 
region,  to  denote  any  general  war  and  expulsion  of  the 
Sioux  from  the  northern  country,  but  yet  it  might  have 
haj)])ened  to  some  extent. 

The  exploration  regarding  the  upper  Mississip]>i,  made 
under  English  auspices  may  be  discussed  in  a  few  words. 


Ttec?  Zu/i^e>    or 
Ml  ^a  LSuca  icfu  to 


in. 


I'AUT  OK    A    MA"   OK   CAXAUA.       .IKKFKKVV,    1762. 

There  is,  unfortunately,  a  documentary  gap  between  the 
time  of  the  Frenc/i  traders  in  Minnesota  and  that  of  Capt. 
Jonathan  Carver,  v/hich  may  never  be  filled  and  which  de- 
prives us  of  information  that  could  probably  clear  up  the 
mystery  of  the  abandonment  by  the  Sioux  of  the  country 
north  of  Watab  river  in  the  vicinity  of  Sauk  Rapids — the 
point  on  the  Mississippi  river  where  the  boundary  line  between 
the  two  nations  was  made  to  cross  it,  by  formal  treaty. 
-8 


114  INK    MISSISSIIM'I    KIVKK    AM)    ITS   SOL'Ul'K. 

In  Cai)t.  Carver's  book,  speaking?  of  Ued  lake,  the  author 
says:  "The  parts  adjacent  are  very  little  known  or  fre- 
((uented,  even  by  the  savages  themselves." 

On  the  map  which  is  reproduced  may  be  seen  the  import- 
ant remarks  which  tend  to  show  that  the  Itasca  Basin,  was 
in  his  time  at  least,  neutral  ground  if  not  debatable  terri- 
tory. The  first  remark  which  ai)pears  ui)on  the  map  im- 
mediately to  the  south  and  southeast  of  Red  lake  and 
"White  Bear  lake" — whichever  lake  that  maybe,  reads  as 
follows: 

"This  is  the  road  of  war  between  the  Nadowessie  and  As- 
siniboils. 

N.  B.  All  country  not  })ossessed  by  any  one  nation 
where  war  parties  are  often  passing,  is  called  by  them  the 
Road  of  War." 

The  next  appt^ars  a  little  farther  to  the  south  and  reads 
thus: 

"The  head  branches  of  the  Mississippi  are  little  known. 

Indians  .seldom  travel  this  way  except  war  parties." 

As  Carver  did  not  ascend  the  Mississippi  any  farther  than 
the  jiresent  St.  Francis  river,  he  was  not  able  to  settle  by 
personal  observation  the  question  whether  the  Sioux  were 
driven  from  their  former  habitations  by  force  of  arms,  or 
voluntarily  relinquished  them  to  be  nearer  the  trading  posts 
to  the  south  of  them  on  the  Mississippi,  and  possibly  on  the 
Minnesota  also;  nor  does  he  attempt  to  settle  this  question. 
He  states  that  three  bands  of  the  tribe  lived  between  the  St. 
Croix  and  the  Minnesota,  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  that  eight  other  bands  lived  in  a  country  lying  more  to 
the  westward — the  Sioux  of  the  plains. 


DKAWN     KUOM     A     i»LAX    Ol     (  APTAI.V     CAUVKIts    TUAVKLS     IN     THK 
INTKKIOi:    I'AlfTS   OF   NORTH   AMEKICA    IX    ITWJ   AND    1767. 


no 


TllK    MISSISSU'IM    lilVKK    AND    ITS   SDIHCK. 


In  Juno.  ITiM'K  (.'apt.  Cairvor,  as  u  Hritish  subject,  sot  out 
from  Hoston  to  explore  the  t-ouiitry  tributiiry  to  tho  uppor 
portion  of  Ww  Mississippi,  in  pursuance  of  a  doclarod  desire 
to  enlighten  his  countrymon  conctvrninj;  the  country  and  its 
inhabitants.  l)orderinj;  upon  tlio  waters  of  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi. 

It  would  apjx'ur  that  the 
policy  adopted  b  y  t  h  e 
French  concerning;  a  «reo- 
•rraphical  knowled^n  of  the 
territory  of  the  Upper  Mis 
sissippi.  obscured  its  im- 
portance from  the  eyes  of 
the  world,  from  evident  sel- 
fish motives,  that  the  reve- 
nues from  trade,  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  country,  its 
physical  features  and  pro- 
ductive possibilities,  might 
be  known  and  availed  of 
only  by  themselves 

CAPT.   .JONATHAN  CAUVER.  "^       "^ 

A  careful  perusal  and  consideration  of  Capt.  Carver's 
visit  to  the  savage  tribes  occui)ying  the  territory  adjacent 
to  the  present  site  of  the  City  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
demoLstratos  that  there  was  but  little  or  no  information 
touching  the  source  of  the  river,  which  he  describes  as 
being  within  thirty  miles  of  the  source  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  Bourbon  rivers,  the  'Origan,"  or  river  of  the  West, 
having  its  source  rather  farther  to  the  west. 

Capt.  Carver's    sojourn  among    the   Sioux  Indians,    his 
acquirement  of    a  knowledge  of    their  language  and    his 


KAULV    TKKUITUUIAL   CLAIMS.  U7 

•  •xlendod  obsoi-vations  and  the  ^'»M);,'ni|)lii(al  iiifonimtion  hi» 
iruiiuid  of  tln^  t»'rrit(>ry  t<»  which  ho  was  u  visitor,  n-sultt'd  in 
his  constnictiii<;  a  map  of  tho  locality  of  much  intonjst  at 
the  tiim;  it  was  |)\d)lislifd.  followiiij,'  liis  voyajjf  to  thn 
northwest. 

Carver  C(»unty.  Minnesota,  formed  of  territory  at  or  near 
where  he  spent  the  winter  of  17t)0.  with  the  Sioux  Indians, 
permanently  inscribed  liis  name  upon  the  ^'<'()<fraphy  of 
Minn«!sota. 

David  Tliompson,  an  En«;lish  Astronomer,  entered  the 
service  of  the  Northwest  Company  in  17117.  [n  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  recpiired  of  him.  h«3  passed  from  the 
north  shore  of  Lake  Superior  t^o  Manit()l)a  and  the 
Mandan  villages  on  the  Missouri  and  prepared  to  'connect  ' 
the  waters  of  the  Red  liver  and  the  Mississipi)i.  He  left 
the  Mouse  river  February  i'.'.  I7'.t8  with  a  do*?  train.  He 
successively  reached  and  pas.sed  the  moutli  of  the  A.ssin- 
iboine  and  Pembina  rivers,  pas.sed  up  the  Ked  river 
of  the  North  to  Red  Lake  river,  and  on  the  17th 
of  April  arrived  at  Red  lake.  Passing,'  to  the  .south- 
ward, he  reached  Turtle  lake,  Ai)ril  :27th,  from  which  flows 
"Turtle  Brook."  He  was  accredited,  to  some  extent,  as  the 
discoverer  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  at  Turtle  lake. 
He  descended  Turtle  river  to  Cass  lake,  and  thence  down 
the  Mississii)pi  through  ••Winnipegoos"  lake  to  the  north  of 
•Sand  Lake  river"  and  thence  across  the  divide  to  Lake 
Superior.  Notes  of  his  travels  have  been  preserved  and  to 
some  extent  published,  making  his  voyage  the  first  authentic 
account  of  an  examination  of  that  part  of  the  Mississippi 
river  between  Cass  lake  and  Sandy  lake.  His  voyage  from 
the  Mississip[)i  riv^er  U)  Lake  Superior  at  .so  early  a  date, 


lib  THK    MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK   AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

durintf  cold  and  inclement  woather,  across  what  is  now 
North  Dakota  and  Minnesota,  and  a  part  of  Manitoba,  was 
reirarded  as  a  remarkable  and  hazardous  undertaking. 


SriM)IVlS[(>\  SKVEXTIT. 


THE  FIRST  KNOWN  OP  WHITE  MEN  AT  ELK  LAKE: 
THE  NAME  DEFINED  ;  WILLIAM  MORRISON;  THE 
ONLY  RECORD  OF  HIS  \^OYAGE  TO  ITASCA  LAKE 
IN  180:] ;  LOST  NOTE-BOOKS. 


In  the  detailed  and  intricate  examination  into  the  Spanish. 
French.  English  and  Indian  occupancy  of  the  territory  now 
comprised  within  the  limits  of  Minnesota,  more  particularly 
that  portion  at  the  headwaters  and  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
no  reliable  statement  can  be  found,  written  or  printed,  show- 
ing or  in  anywise  indicating  that  any  person  but  the  native 
savage  had,  previous  to  1803,  visited  that  portion  of  it  now 
known  as  the  Itasca  Basin,  the  Omoskos  of  the  Chippew^a, 
the  La  Biche  of  the  French,  the  Elk  of  the  English. 

The  topographical  formation  of  the  locality  in  its  phy- 
sical features,— the  shape  of  an  elk's  head  with  the  horns 
representing  the  east  and  west  arms,— no  doubt  gave  it  the 
name  "Elk.'"  It  may  be  a  fact,  recently  demonstrated  by 
the  discovery  in  the  bed  of  one  the  creeks  there,  of  a  large 
pair  of  elk  antlers,  that  the  locality  was  formerly  the  breed- 
ing place  of  that  animal,  and  as  a  hunting  ground,  was 
known  as  Elk  lake.  (Omoskos  Sogiagon).     The  French,  bv 


120  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVKH    AND    ITS    SOURCK. 

translation,  followed  the  same  name  and  even  after  the 
change  in  the  name  V)y  ."ichoolcraft  and  Boutwell.  it  still 
attaches,  by  authority  of  action  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States  officials,  and  by  enactment  of  the  Legislature  of  Min- 
nesota, to  on*!  of  the  lakes  of  the  locality. 

An  authentic  writing,  concerning  the  first  discovery  of  the 
Source  in  180;},  is  that  of  William  Morrison.  The  original 
draft  of  his  letter  is  extant,  and  for  the  first  time  appears  in 
print  as  an  important  document  in  the  question  of  discovery 
noH' under  cc-^isideration. '  of  much  interest  in  a  deliberate 
determination  to  state  (questions  of  fact,  devoid  of  all  pro- 
blemiuic  embellishments. 

Of  vVilliam  Morrison's  life  and  times,  and  the  causes  of 
his  residence  in  the  then  northwestern  wilderness,  a  most 
thorough  inquiry  has  been  made.  The  result  of  the  inquiry 
necessarily  brought  to  the  attention  all  the  principal  inci- 
c.ents  of  his  life, — an  eventful  one  among  the  traders  and 
t.ribes  of  the  Northwest. 

It  was  known  that  Mr.  Morrison  recorded  a  daily  account 
of  his  movements,  and  to  Mrs.  Georgiana  Demaray.  his 
^accomplished  daughter,  was  assigned  the  labor  of  searching 
for  these  records  in  Canada. — his  last  place  of  residence — 
but  it  is  now  known  that  they  were  lost  -  Mrs.  Demaray 
during  her  father's  lifetime  received  ffom  his  lips  a  detailed 
account  of  his.  visit  to  Elk  lake,  a  description  of  his  written 
accounts  noted  down  at  the  time,  which  were  lost,  except 
those  from  1H24  to  the  close  of   his  northwestern  career,  and 


1.  The  Wm.  Morrison  letter,  published  in  the  coUt'otioii  of  the  Muiiiescnii  His- 
torical Society  in  vol.  1  p. 417  is  a  composite  production. 

2.  Mr.  Morrison  lost  his  record  books,  by  an  accidental  capsiziti};  oi  l:'s  canoe. 
and  like  the  records  of  some  of  his  French  predecessors,  detinite  inforniati'in 
found  a  watery  grave.  To  replace,  from  memory,  the  notes  of  twenty  years,  was 
an  impossibility. 


THK    I'lUST    KNOWN    OF    WHITK    MKN. 


11' I 


a  detailed  verbal  statement  of  his  residence  of  a  quarter  of 
a  century  in  the  nei<rhborhood  of  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi.  It  is  liighly  probable  that  Mr.  Morrison  was 
the  first  known  of  white  men  who  visited  in  1803,  1804,  1811 
and  1HV2,  the  Basin  surrounding"  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. In  those  days  of  iso- 
lation and  a  consequent 
carelessness,  it  is  fair  to 
presume  that  Mr.  Morrison 
had  no  available  opjDortuni- 
ty  to  make  known  his  visits 
ther(\  unless  in  casual  re- 
ports to  his  employers,  and 
then  only  in  matter-of  fact 
communications,  soon  to  be 
laid  away  and  almost  as 
soon  forgotten,  and  relega- 
ted to  an  oblivion  which 
tests  the  patience  of  those 
who  now  seek,  with  ill  suc- 
cess, after  the  lapse  of  near- 
ly a  century,  to  verify  the  mks.  geouchan.v  dk.mauay. 
record  of  an  important  geographical  discovery,  with  adverse 
claimants  in  its  history. 

Mr.  Morrison  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Superior,  Wis- 
consin. Historical  Society.  September  27th,  1855,  on  the  rec- 
ord of  his  services  and  discoveries  in  the  region  of  the  head- 
waters of  the  Mississippi.  His  residence  in  the  Northwest, 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  should  be  regarded  as  of  sufficient 
importance  to  append  a  brief  outline  of  his  birth,  and  the 
incidents  of  his  lifetime,  that,  while  there  is  yet  an  oppor- 


i'2'2  THK    MISSISSIPIM    EtIVEK    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

tunity,  mankind  may  bo  advised  of  him  who  consistently 
claimed  the  honors  of  a  first  discovery  of  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi. 

Mr  Morrison's  correspondence  iipon  this  question  during 
the  last  years  of  his  life,  was  had  with  his  brother  Allan 
Morrison  of  Crow  Win^.  Minn.,  in  18r)0.  more  than  fifty 
years  after  the  occurrence  of  the  events  described,  yet  the 
remembrance  of  circumstances  seems  to  have  been  fresh  in 
his  mind,  and  undoubtedly  from  the  fact  that  he  had  always 
considered  himself  the  first  of  white  men  at  the  source  of 
the  river.  Of  this  fact,  Mrs.  Demaray  is  a  living  witness, 
and  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Morrison  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  a 
nembei'  of  William  Morrison's  household,  as  a  ward,  remem- 
bers the  fact  that,  as  early  as  1837,  and  prior  to  that  time, 
the  circumstances  of  this  first  discovery  were  freely  dis- 
cussed and  related  to  himself  and  others  by  William  Mor- 
rison. 

This  is  the  best  evidence  at  hand.  It  is  certainly  a  matter 
of  regret,  that  the  memorandum  book,  written  from  day  to 
day  in  1803-4,  by  Mr.  Morrison,  during  a  long  winter's  resi- 
dence near  the  source,  cannot  now  be  produced.  That  book 
may  have  contained  a  sketch  of  the  locrlity.  It  certainly 
would  describe  the  route  of  travel  and  the  particular  points 
of  location,  facts  now  beyond  the  reach  of  those  who  seek  to 
perpetuate  in  definite  form  the  first  discovery  of  Itasca 
lake,  if  such  it  was. 

Among  several  letters  ^   written  by  Mr.  Morrison  on  this 


Berthier,  16th  .January,  1856. 

1"My  Dear  Brother:— Your  letter  of  the  26th  ultimo  has  come  to  liand.  Wf 
were  happy  to  hear  from  you  and  yours.  George's  letters  likewise  are  received. 
Fanny  will  answer  him  and  liis  motlier  also. 

You  do  not  say  a  word  about  your  trip  to  the  States  tliis  winter  and  your  in- 
tended visit  to  see  us.    Will  not  tlie  treaty  take  place  this  winterV 


THK    FIRST    KNOWN    OF    Will  IK    MKN.  128 

^ubjocl,  one  is  given  in  full,  and  just  as  written  and  si<?nod 
by  himself,  and  addressed  to  his  brother,  Allan  Morrison. 

Mr.  Morrison  was  born  in  Canada  in  \7h'.'>.  and  died   there 
August  Till,  18»)»);  the  records  indicate,  liowever,  that  he  be 
came  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  by  naturalization. 

It  is  but  right  and  i)ro})er  that.  t(j  commemorate  the  event 
of  his  visit  to  the  Basin,  his  name  should  be  inscribed  then,' 
upon  its  list  of  geographical  designations,  a  recognition 
which  has  been  awarded. 

Concerning  the  presumable  fact.  that,  antedating  the  first 
known  visit  of  white  men  at  Lac  La  Biche, French  voyageurs 
may  have  reached  the  Basin,  no  reliable  statement  in  writing 
is  known  to  exist,  describing  sucli  visit.  In  the  absence  of 
aiiy  known  record  as  to  the  movements  of  the  French  fur 
traders  and  voyageurs  who  first  established  themselves  in 


I  ivito  what  you  S!iy  conefniinj;  tlio  soiin^oof  tlie  Mls-*i.ssippi.  You  wisli  to 
know  wlio  \v;i.s  tl'o  first  pL'rs,)ii  who  went  to  its  s'liirco.  For  the  iriforinatioii  of  tin- 
n.  Society.  I  wiUstule  to  yo;i  all  about  wliateatiie  to  my  PcnowledKe,  by  wliicli  you 
win  perceive  tliat  II.  K.  ScliiKjlcraft  is  in  error  anil  that  he  was  not  the  tirst  person 
who  made  tiie  discovery  of  the  source  i>{  the  Mississippi. 

I  left  the  old  Grand  Portajje.  July,  1S0:J,  landed  at  Leech  lake  in  Septeniher. 
In  Octoljer.  T  wi'rit  and  wintered  on  oin'  nf  tlie  Crow  Wins;  streams  near  its  source. 
Our  Indians  were  Pillajrers;  in  lsai-4.  I  wcni  and  wintered  al  Lac  La  Folle.  I  left 
Leech  lake,  passed  \>y  Red  Cclar  ii/ic,  up  river  Lac  Travers  to  the  lake  of  that 
name,  then  up  river  La  Hiclie  or  Elk  river,  to  near  Lac  La  liiche,  wlicn  we  made  a 
portage  to  fall  into  Lac  La  Folle.  Lac  La  Biche  is  near  to  Lac  La  Folle.  Lac  La 
Biche  is  llie  source  of  tlie  Great  Kiver  Mississippi,  wliicii  I  visited  in  ISOt,  id  if 
the  late  Gen.  I'ikedid  not  lay  it  down  as  such  when  he  came  to  Leech  lake  it  Is 
because  he  did  not  happen  to  meet  me.  1  was  at  an  outpost  that  winter.  The  late 
Gen  Pike  laid  down  on  his  book  llcdValar  luke  as  tlie  head  of  the  Mississippi 
river.  I  did  not  trace  any  vesii.'c  of  wiiite  twiii  before  me.  In  l-sll-li,  I  wintered 
again  at  Lac  La  Folle  near  to  the  plains.  We  went  dowi.  .-iver  La  Folle  some  dis- 
tance. I  then  overtook  a  jifnilenian  with  an  outfit  from  Mi<-liilimackiuac,  Mr. 
Otepe,  with  whom  1  parted  only  at  Fond  du  Lac.  He  took  tlie  .^uuth  towards 
Mch'a  and  I  north  to  our  headquarters,  which  had  been  changed  to. 
Fort  William  north  of  the  Grand  Portage.  This  I  expect  will  explain  tliat  I  visi- 
ted in  1804,  Elk  lake,  and  again  in  1811-13.  With  respect  to  the  first  Fond  du  Lac 
traders,  we  all  came  from  Mackinac.  Some  came  by  Lake  Superior  and  others  up 
by  Prairie  du  Clilen,  up  to  Crow  Wing  and  some  went  to  Lac  La  Quo  de  FOutre— 
Otter  Tail  lake— Messrs.  Keaume,  CV)iton.  Casselais,  Sayers.  Letairz  and  several 
others,  some  came  by  Lake  .Superior  and  others  up  tb.e  Mississippi  by  way  of 
Prairie  du  Chien.    These  persons  were  persons  who  preceded  us.    The  French  had 


124  THK    MISSISSHM'F    UIVKR   AND    ITS    SOUKCE. 

lines  ol'  trade  and  traftic  with  tlic  Indians,  across  Xhv  noiMli- 
ern  portion  of  tho  territory  which  now  constitutes  the  State 
of  Minnesota,  no  tU'tinite  lecord  can  be  found  concerning'  a 
mere  probability  that  they  may  have  reached  Elk  lake. 
To  the  writers  of  the  future  must  be  left  the  task  ot  discov- 
ering the  record  of  the  manner  in  which  "Lac  La  Biche"' 
first  became  known  to  the  French  and  of  any  visits  they  may 
have  made  to  the  locality,  if  any  such  record  exists,  which 
now  seems  doubtful.  Certain  it  is  that  Mr.  Morrison's 
letter  is  the  only  record  of  the.//rs7  visit  to  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge. 

trading  posts  on  Lake  Superior,  but  not  in  tlie  Interior  of  F.  D.  L.  tliat  I  could 
ever  discover.  The  late  Mr.  Suyers  returned  from  Mi-kina  and  found 
that  his  hands  of  Indians  liad  died  l)y  tiie  smallpox  -1780-T  think. 

Perhaps  It  is  not  amiss  to  mention  that  I  went  to  the  Indian  country  ent;aged 
to  Sir  Alexander  Mi'Kenzie  &  Co.,  who  had  joined  stock  wit  h  tlie  X.  Y  Co..  form- 
erly the  Ttii'hatdson  &  Co. 

I  went  into  the  country  in  opposition  to  the  (dd  N.  W.  Co.  1  found  in  Kond  du 
Lac,  N.  W.  traders,  Messrs.  Sayers  at  Leech  lake,  Cotton  at  Kcmd  du  Lac  and 
l{ous(|uai  at  Sandy  lake.  My  i)arty  weie  Michel  and  Antoiue  Cheniers— brothers, 
.lohn  Mclleaii  and  Messrs.  Houvin  and  Grijinon. 

Weoppo.sed  all  the  N.  W.  posts  until  l.Ml.i,  wIi-ti  a  coalition  took  i)lace  lietween 
MeKen/ic  and  N.  W.  Co.  The  t  rade  was  carrieil  on  jointly  unl  il  after  the  late  war 
in  ISK).  J..T.Astorof  New  '^'ork.  bouirht  out  the  whole  stocks  of  (he  company 
which  was  wiihin  the  U.  S.  territory.  .I..I.  A.  ^Mve  the  name  of  his  concern  the  A. 
M.  F.  Co.,  who  extended  tlielr  trade  from  the  old  (jriind  Portafie  to  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods.  Their  route  was  up  Xao  St.  I..ouis  to  the  heifihtsof  land  .iiid  then  down  the 
liainy  lake  river  to  Lake  of  the  Woods.  Our  f;randfather  Waddin  was  killed  by 
Plerrepont  and  Lesiur  In  ITso  and  buried  at  Lac  Le  Rouge. 

1  have  not  McKenzie's  travels  before  me  for  the  precise  years  of  his  voyage. 

Franeheu  Is  pretty  correct  in  liis  stat-ements.  Mr.  Bond,  your  writer,  must 
have  seen  these  gentlemen's  t  ravels. 

1  will  send  you  enclosed  a  lettei-  from  my  old  friend  (ieo.  Nelson,  who  wintered 
at  Folle  Avoine  in  lS02-;i-4. 

I  have  had  the  honor  of  having  been  named  a  meiiil)er  of  ilic  II.  S.  of  Superior, 
who  have  a  just  right  to  claim  any  information  they  may  icquire  that  I  can  -rive 
llieiu.  Your  tine<-tionate  brother. 

WILLIAM  MOKiasttN." 

1.     Itasca  uake. 


Si:iMHVlS|()\    KKiHTlI. 


LIEUTENANT  Z.  M.  1»IKKS  KXPEDITTON  IN  180o-r):  HE 
REACHES  THE  MOUTH  OF  TWO  RIVERS  AND 
ERECTS  HLOCK  HOUSES;  BUFFALO,  ELK  AND 
DEER  HUNT;  SLEDOE  JOURNEY  TO  LEECH  LAKE; 
THE  BRITISH  FLAO;  INDIAN  WARFARE:  KILLED 
AT  YORK. 


The  ces  ion  of 
Louisiana,  (alter- 
nately  Spanish  and 
French  territory, )  in 
A.  D.,  1803,  to  the 
U  ni  ted  States, 
brought  a  very  im- 
p  o  r  t  a  n  t  ten  itory 
under  the  dominion 
and  ownership  of 
this  govern  nient, 
with  a  conservative 
policy,  but  active 
and  energetic  oper- 
ations for  its  control 
and  welfare. 


GEN.  55.   M.   PIKE. 


]'2{S  THK   MISSISSIIM'T    UIVKH    AND    ll  S   SOUKCK. 

Lieut.  Z.  M.  Piko  was  dispatched  from  St.  Louis  t<j  explore 
and  examine  the  Mississippi  and  tributary  country  to  the 
headwaters.  He  sailed  from  St.  Louis  in  keel  boats  up  the 
river,  August  9th.  1805.  at  the  head  of  a  detachment  of 
twenty  men.  Witli  varyin«r  hardships,  conferences  with  the 
Indians  and  traders,  subsist in^j  in  part  on  game  and  fish, 
the  detachment  reached  the  Two  Rivers  of  Morrison  County, 
Minnesota,  on  the  west  banlc  of  the  Mississippi  at  the  begin- 
ning of  winter,  erecting  a  fort  of  block-liouses.  The  south 
branch  of  Two  Rivers  was  named  Pine  oreek,  and  the  other 
Second  creek.  Prom  November  1st  to  December  10th. 
Lieut.  Piko  and  his  detachment  erected  the  fort,  hunted  the 
buffalo,  elk  and  doer,  then  in  great  numbers  at  tliC  points 
now  known  as  Rico's  in  Benton  CounLy.  and  Br.xkway  in 
Stearns  County,  Minnesota. 

Lieut.  Pike  commenced  a  sledge  journey  with  a  detail 
from  the  detachment  from  his  block  fort  Decembcn-  10th. 
cached  provisions  underground  above  Little  Falls,  passed 
the  De  Corbeau  (Crow  Wing)  river,  and  on  Christmas  day 
W'ls  en'^amped  a  short  distance  above  the  point  where  is  now 
situated  the  City  of  Brainerd,  reached  the  mouth  of  Pine 
river  December  31st,  and  January  ;jrd.  1800.  discovered  the 
British  flag  tlofiting  at  an  Indian  encampment.  On  the  niglit 
of  January  4th,  the  party  lost  their  tents  and  portions  of 
their  wearing  apparel  by  accidental  conflagration,  barely 
escaping  from  an  explosion  of  the  ammunition  supply. 
Bringing  to  their  use  a  supply  of  snow  shoes  and  toboggans, 
the  detachment  arrived  at  Leech  lake  on  February  1st,  ex- 
hausted and  worn  out  by  cold,  hunger  and  exposure.  Pike 
says:  "I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  my  feelings  on  the 
accomplishment  of  my  voyage,  for  this  is  the  main  source  of 


IMKKS    KXI'KDITION.  127 

the  Mississippi."  and  on  Pobruary  12th.  he  wrote,  after  a 
march  to  Rod  Cedar  lake:  -This  may  be  called  the  upper 
.source  of  the  Missippi  river." 


^,ij 


4f  .<^J^  o  Jr«  ffs 


iH-lL. 


KXTKACT  FIIOM  LIKUT.  /.  M.  PIKE'S  CIIAUT  NEA1{  SOURCE  OF  Till! 

Mississii'i'i,  1805-6. 
The  Red  Cedar  lake  of  Pike's  map  is  the  Cass  lake  ol 
the  State  Map  of  Minnesota  of  the  present  time.  Examin- 
ing the  surroundin*^:  locality,  taking  observations  for  his 
position  which  he  gave  as  "Lat.  47\  38';  Long.  95°,  08'." 
Conferring  with  the  Indians  who  designated  him  and  his  de- 
tachment, "neither  Frenchmen  nor  Englishmen,  but  white 
Indians."  advising  the  traders  of  the  supremacy  of  the 
United  States  over  that  portion  of  the  public  domain,  mak- 
ing extraordinary    elt'orts  to   curtail   and   suppress   Indian 


\2^  THK   MISSISSIPPI    UIVKU    AND    ITS   SOUIiCK. 

wart'urt'  between  the  tribes,  the  return  luarch  was,  Jiti«?r 
many  hardships  atidsutleriii;;s,  ar('<>mi)lished.  to  the  block- 
liouso  at  Two  Rivers,  in  Mareli,  iHOti.  and  spending  sotne 
days  in  the  hunt  for  subsistence,  at  tlie  opening;  of  sprin;;, 
tho  l)oats  on  the  river  were  resumed,  and  on  the  30th  of 
April,  after  an  al>s«»nce  of  ei^'ht  months  and  twenty-two 
days,  th(i  detachment  reached  St.  Louis. 

Of  Lieut.  Pike  it  may  be  said  that  he  was  constituted,  and 
his  physical  and  mental  energies  peculiarly  fitted  him  for, 
the  leader  of  a  hazardous  trip  into  an  unknown  country. 
Surrounded  by  the  dangers  and  sutferings  of  a  northern 
winter,  beyond  civilization,  with  no  facilities  for  communi- 
cation, and  warring  tribes  of  savages  on  either  hand,  sub- 
sistence only  for  four  months,  and  that  i)artly  destroyed, 
and,  in  his  absence,  S(iuandered  by  the  sergeant  of  tlie  de- 
tachment, he  accomi)lished  a  task  certainly  requiring  the 
ability  he  so  successfully  displaj'^ed.  He  successively  re 
ceived  promotion  as  Captain,  Major  and  Colonel,  and  as 
Brig.  General  led  the  American  forces  in  1M13  against  York 
(now  Toronto)  Canada,  where  he  fell  mortally  wounded  from 
the  explosion  of  the  British  magazine. 

He  was  born  at  Lamberton,  N.  J.,  January  5th,  1779,  was 
twenty-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  expedition  to  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  but  thirty-four  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  1806,  it  was  believed  that  Pike  had  actually  penetrated 
to  the  source  of  the  river,  and  it  was  a  misfortune  that  he 
did  not  meet  at  that  time  William  Morrison,  from  whom  he 
could  well  learn  many  facts  of  geographical  importance. 
Mr.  Morrison,  at  the  time  of  Pike's  expedition,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  at  an  outpost. 


IMKKS    KXI'KDITION.  \'2\) 

That  Piko  boli.'vcd  thuthc  had  iM'tu-tnitod  to  ila.  source 
is  certain,  but  one  fonsidenition  abovo  all  others  predoini 
nates.  His  iufornK.tion  was  entirely  hearsay  and  he  look 
for  <,'ranted  the  stories  told  him  of  the  Turtle  lak..  .source. 
That  locality  then  had  a  considerable  population  of  Indians 
and  whilt!  traders  from  the  Canadian  provinces.  No  actual 
exploration  in  the  Held  along  the  upper  branches  of  the  Miss- 
issippi was  had  by  him,  the  whole  country,  lakes,  rivers  and 
streams  beinj,-  covered  with  ice  and  snow,  and  to  all  the 
l)oints  visited  by  him  he  was  guided  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  locality.  His  voyage  at  the  time  was  considered  as  suc- 
cessful as  it  was  remarkable.  Certain  it  is  that  exi)osure 
and  want  of  knowledge  of  the  country  made  it  a  hazardois 
undertaking.  Pike  says  nothing  whatever  of  Itasca  (then 
Elk)  lake. 


-9 


srr.-hivisKix  \i\th. 


THF^:  LKVVIS  (!ASS  KXI'KDITTON;  THROUGH  LAKK 
SUI»KKIOK;  CAMP  AT  SANDY  LAKK;  VOYAGK 
DOWN  THK  MISSISSHM'T  FROM  CASS  LAKK. 


OctoVjOf  9t,h,  17HL'.  ill  Ex('t(M",  N(!\v  Hampshin;,  Lowis  Cays 
\v?.s  boiTi.  His  fatlu!!'  was  a  major  in  tho  Revolutionary 
Army.  In  17!t!>,  h(!  was  stationcjdat  Wilminj^ton.  Del.,  whcire 
his  .son  L(!wis  secured  ein])loym(Hit  as  a  teacli(!r.  Removing' 
to  Ohio  in  IHOO.  Lewis  Cass  took  up  the  study  of  law,  was 
two  y(!ai-s  latei-  admitted  to  tho  bar  and  was  eloct<>d  a,  mem 
l)i'f  ()\'  the  le'<^islatun!,  wh<!re  he  became'  prominent  in  activf; 
consideration  of  th(;  de'si«;ns  of  Aaron  I'urr.  He  was  an  offi- 
cer in  the  "war  of  1^12,  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  was  ])rornot(!d 
\()  the  rank  of  liri<:?adier  Oencjrai. 

In  <^)ctober,  IHKJ,  hf;  was  appointed  Governor  o.'  Micfii«^an 
Tfsrritory,  a  position  he  \ut\d  for  ei^htcjen  y(!ai's,  m-Uu^  also 
rj-ojllcio,  as  Superintemhint  of  Indian  alTairs  of  h's  terri- 
tory. Iti  his  capacity  as  govern<»r\  <ni  .Vovembfu-  IHth,  IHl'.i, 
hi!  addressed  a  communication  to  Hofi.  .)ohn  C.  Calhoun, 
Secr<!tary  of  Wai,  proposing  iiM  expedition  to  and  throufjh 
Lake  Superior  and  to  Um  .sources  of  tlie  Mississippi,  for  an 
f!.\'ami nation  of  Uu^.  principal  featar(!S  of  tVie  Northwest,  trib 
utaj-y  U>  Lake  SujKU'ior  and  thr;  Mississippi  rivfsr.  Th(! 
Hon.  Secretary  of  War,  January  14th,  IHL'O,  sanctioned  the 
proposed  expcidition  and  ^ave  instructions  for  its  equipment, 


CASS    KXI'K.DITFOX. 


131 


(|(»partur«i  and  route  lor  oljscrvalion.  'I'his  expedition  <!ni- 
l)arl<«!d  in  canoos  at  D(!t,roit,  Mic,hi<,'ari,  May  lilth.  IHL'O, 
accompairMKl  by  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  lleuiry  li.  Sehool- 
craft  as  inin(!r  ilof^ist,  (Japt.  D  \i.  Douglass  as  iopo<^rapliei- 
and  astrononrior,  and  a  number  of  boatme'n  and  Indian  hunt- 


OKN.    M:\V  I  -  CASH. 

ers.  (iovornor  Cass'  expedition  asctonded  tli<(  St.  (Jiair 
river,  coast(!d  Lake  JIuron  and  reached  fSaitIt  Ste.  Mari(^  in 
safety  after  niiicii  delay  on  account  of  head  wIikJs  Gov. 
Cass  by  his  intnjpidily  and  f(!arl<;ss  ac-tion,  coiri{)f;lled  th(! 
huiiatis  to  relincpjish  d(!si«^ns  against  him,  nt.'f^otiated  t!ie 
treaty  of  .Iun(;  Kith.  IHilO.  and  on  themorninj?  of  tlie  follow 
in^day.  proceed(;d  on  his  voyaj^e.  At  the  end  of  tlie  forty- 
third  day  (July  Hth )  the  expeditien  reached   in   safety  the 


132  THK    MISSISSII'IM    KIVKK    AND    ITS    SOUKCK. 

mouth  of  the  St.  lionis  river,  at  the  westorn  oxtremity  of 
L;ik(i  Supori(jr.  I*;issin<^  up  tlK^  St.  Louis  rivor,  (ion.  Cass 
and  his  party  acc<jrnplisli(!(l  a  difficult  jjortajj^c  across  tlu; 
sutnrnit  dividing?  tho  watoi-s  of  Sup(>rior  from  those  of  the 
Mississippi  valley,  reaching  Sandy  Lake  station,  a  Iradin*^' 
post  of  one  of  the  fur  compani(!s,  July  Ifjth.  Lieut.  t*ike 
had  readied  this  station  fourt«,'en  yc^ars  before  them  on  his 
winter  voyage  to  thci  sourc»'s.' 

Hor(!  (Jov.  Cass  <'ncamped  his  ])rinci})al  force  and  in  two 
canoes  ])roceeded,  with  Mi".  Schoolcraft,  Maj.  Forsyth, 
Capt.  Douj.?lass,  Dr.  Wolcott  and  Lieut.  Mackay,  as  attaches 
of  his  sub  expedition,  to  discovijr  and  explore  the  soui'ces  of 
the  Mississippi.  Tin;  party  left  Sandy  lake  July  17th.  and 
f(!ached  the  up{)ei-  Red  Cedar  lak(!  the  21sl,  whi(;h  Mi-. 
Schoolci'aft  named  Cass  lake '^  in  honor  of  the  ieadei' of  the 
exp(!dition,  and  by  this  name  it  has  sinc(;  been  known. 
Fnnn  '  he  Chippewa  Indians  a1  Cass  lakfs,  Uia  ^overnoi- 
learned  that  the  source;  of  the  riv(!r  was  Lac  La  Biche,  about 
fifty  miles  to  the  "west-northwest"  c»f  Cass  lake.  Upon  the 
same;  information,  he  also  learned  that  tin;  wat(!i"  was  very 
low  and  that  it  was  next  to  impossibh;  to  st(!m  the  cui-rents 
of  the  main  str(!am,  enterin*^  Cass  lake;  at  its  southwestern 
<;xtremity,  in  their  canoes,  durinj^tlui  low  water.  Cov.  Cass 
submiUed  th<;se  itcuns  of  interest  to  his  associates  and  upon 
consultation,  it  was  determined  to  comnumcu;  the  retuiwi 
journey  to  Detroit,  via  the  Mississi})pi  to  St.  Anthony  Falls 
and  the  Wisconsin  river.  H(!  and  his  parly  embarked  on 
their  retiirn  journey  .July  21st,  1820,  and  successfully 
reached  and  i)assed  St.  Anthony  Falls,  Fort  Snellin;;^,  Lake 
Pei>in,  Prairie  du  Chien,th(mce  up  the  valley  of  tho  Wisconsin 

I.     It  Is  |iri)I)al)le  l.lijit  LoHiK'ur  asiri-rifU'd  llii;  MlSHlsslpi)!  ms  far  ;is  Sandy  Lake, 
a.    At  first  <allf(l  (.'Msslria  lakf. 


CASS     KX  IM;  I )]'!' I  UN. 


183 


;ni(l  down  tho  Fox  river.  Soon  ;ifUM"  tlio  (.'xpodition  was  di- 
vided lor  the  ])iirpo.s(;  of  coustinji-  l^e  shores  <;f  (Jr(!cnBa.y 
and  of  Lulce  Mi(;hi<^un.  (lov.  Cu.ss  arrivcul  at  D(;troit,  Sep- 
t,(Muber  l.'th,  IHl'O,  liavinji;  crossed  th<;  south<!rn  peninsula  of 

JR.C3  l.aKc    /^) 
JL  LuLeish.     "  ~ 


jLcccn   if 


JL  /f^f/7>/e/jeiL 


^/7>//.r  Of'J^^^efa 


IHA. 


SKCTIOV  OK    A    MAr*   SIIOWINO    IIIH    1  UACK    I'lKSIKD    IIV     IMK    KXPKDI- 
TION    CXOKK   <H>V.  C'.LSS    IN    IM20.       ISV    MKMtV    R.   S(  Il(><)l.( 'ItA  KT. 

Miehi«^an  in  the  saddh;.  His  voya^*;  oeeupiod  one  hundred 
and  fitt(.'en  days.  SuVjsequenlly,  (iov.  Cass  attained  a 
national  reputation,  was  sent  abroad,  and  May  22nd,  184H, 
he  was  nominated  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  J 'resident 


184  TIIK    MISSISSIIM'I    lilVKIi    AND    ITS    SOUIICK. 

of  thr;  I'tiit«M|  Stutos.  Mis  candor  us  L'riitod  St,ul<;s  S(!naU)r 
rrf)m  Miclii^'iui.  ;in<l  as  Socn^tary  of  StaU^  lUKit-r  Pnjsidcnt. 
liuchanaii,  i>  ;t  part  of  1lic  liislocy  of  tin;  J^V!(l<!ral  Uopublir;. 
H(!  (lit'd  at,  Detroit.  .liiiH!  ITth,  IH<U),  at  Um;  af^(;  of  ci'^hty- 
four  yoars. 

Th<;  (!ass  cxiM'dilion  of  IHtiO  to  tin;  source  of  th(j  Missis- 
si[)i)i,  up(jn  ;i  dittcifnt  and  TTioiv;  «!xtonsivo  route,  and  under 
more  favoi-ablc;  circumstances  than  that  of  TJcut.  IMke, 
proved  to  hi-  an  imjiortant  event  in  th(!  liistory  of  the  uortli- 
west,  and  paved  the  way  in  enaVjlinj^  Mr-.  Schoolcraft  to 
easily  reacli,  twelve  years  Iat«.'r,  the  Itasca  liasin. 

'rh((  hij^hest  ])oirit  reachisd  by  CJov.  (^ass  and  liis  i)arty, 
was  at  tlic  north  shore  of  Cjass  lalc(  \v<!st  of  tlu-  nioutli  of 
Turtle  riser.  ^J'he  inap  of  tin;  7-outf!  travfsrsfMl  by  the  Class 
expedition.  |)iepared  by  Mr  Schoolcraft  and  pid>lished  in 
1M21,  is  tlie  first,  definite  chart  establishing^  the  existence  of 
Lac  La  liiche.  at  the  It/asca  locality  of  the  prescmt  day.  T\w. 
directJofi,  how(!ver.  was  (U'roneou.sly  j^iven  as  northwest. 
inst<fad  of  southw<!St.  from  Cass  lake. 

Cass  ('ounty,  Minnesota,  was  naincnl  in  honor  of  tlie  leader 
of  tliis  expedition,  and  the  ncxnenclatiUi-e  of  the  IJppfu-  lied 
Cedar  lake;  soon  «^av(!  wa.y  upon  the  su«.^<^estion  of  Mr. 
Schoolcraft,  siture  wliich  titnfj  it  has  «^one  down  on  the  ina])s 
as  Cass  lake. 

When  (iov.  (Jass  abandoned  his  purpose;  to  asc<!nd  the 
Mississippi,  to  its  source,  he  was  within  an  Ga.sy  distance, 
com])aratively  si)eaking,  to  the  ^oal  sou*:^ht  for.  Less  tim- 
idity had  often  been  displayed  in  canoe  voyaj^es,  (jven  in  the 
face  of  low  water,  and  an  O  za-win-dib.  or  a  Ke«^-wed-zis  sag  ' 
would  have  easily  won  the  battle  of  the  day  for  Gen.  Cass. 

I       (;:i  \ -'.'Wi-d-o-s:!  V. 


BELTRAMI. 


SIT.-DIVISION  TKXTIl. 


J.  C.  BELTRAMI:  CIVIL.  MILITARY  AND  JUDICIAL 
PURSUITS;  THE  COUNTESS  OF  ALBANY;  AN 
EXILE;  HERO  WORSHIP;  VOYAGE  TO  AMERICA; 
THIRST  FOR  GEOGRAPHICAL  DISCOVEE^Y;  VOY- 
AGE UP  THE  MINNESOTA  AND  DOWN  THE  RED 
RIVER;  AT  PEMBINA;  BELTRAMI  REACHES  RED 
AND  TURTLE  LAKES;  LOCATES  THE  SOURCE  OF 
THE  MISSISSIPPI  AT  JULIA  LAKE;  DOE  LAKE:  SUC- 
CORED BY  CHIPPEWA  INDIANS;  RESEARCHES 
OP  MR.  ALFRED  J.  HILL:  BELTRAMI  COUNTY 


J.  C.  Beltrami,  known  in  his  native  land  as  Giacomo  Con- 
stantino Beltrami,  was  born  in  Bergamo,  Italy,  in  1779.  his 
father  being  a  custom-hor^e  officer  of  the  Venetian  Re- 
public. A  family  tradition  indicates  the  derivation  of  the 
name  from  Beltrami  des  Goths,  refugees  from  Paris  in  1572. 
The  subject  of  this  review  was  a  student  of  the  law,  like 
wise  acquiring  a  mastery  of  the  languages.  He  was 
attached  to  the  army  of  his  native  country  as  vice-inspector. 
Returning  to  civil  pursuits,  he  was  made  a  judge  of  the 
Civil  and  Criminal  Court  at  Macerata.  Retiring  in  l^<lll  to 
Florence,  he  formed  relations  with  the  Countess  of  Albany^ 


1.    Madiiiiie  Lu  Cotntcssi- ('i)riip;ij;ii(ini.  iieu  P;isseri. 


!;{♦)  IIIK    .MISSlSSII'I'l    l£l\KI<    A.M»    IT--    ,SULlt(  K. 

and  others  of  hi^li  fiuil<.  and  \v;is  (•(•itiiiM'nd<'<l  lor  a|)|)<)inl 
I  IK -lit  to  till'  chair  ol  t  he  l'r«'>id<'iit  <»!'  t  he  ( lourt  ol  l''oi-|i.  sub- 
j«!ct,  to  th<'  im|H'rial  .sanction  of  l''r'atfc«'.  'IMu'disturlx-d  condi- 
tion of  his  nativf  ccnmlry  chanj^cd  th^Muitin^  lif'nof  yoijn«^  li(d 
trami.  He  iipjMiars  t»)  h;ivc  Ix'cn  ;i  rriiiii  of  \\]<i:\\  aspirations, 
peculiar  at)ilit ics,  n  partisan,  slandiM*^  upon  the  (jncstion  of 
lionor  ratln'i-  than  cniohinn'nt.  for  his  country  ;is  well  :is  foi- 
hiinsolf.  'I'hus  wc  find  hiiii  in  l^L'l.  when,  sutlerin;.'  from  tlie 
elTects  c»f  an  injured  1hi;^'h,  he  was  compelled  to|e;i\e  the 
liotna^na  and  <;o  into  exile. 

That  he  was  a  horo  worsliipper.  with  hut  one  hero  and 
that  hiins(df,  re;;rettin«;  liis  own  niisfortunes  ;tnd  those  of 
Italy,  which  seemed  to  prosper  without  his  presences,  are 
opinions  forced  upon  ;i  student  of  liistory  in  a  c;ireful 
examination  of  his  writing's. 

In  a  voya<^e  across  the  ocean  to  the  shorv-s  of  Amei'ica.  he 
experien<;ed  Ji  stormy  passaj^e.  with  rcsultard  indis[)osition 
and  a  «;r(}at  want  of  sympathy  on  the  jiart  of  tho  ofticers  of 
th(!  sFii])  and  tFie  jiassen^'ers  a  portion  of  whom  iio  thouj^hl 
to  be  pirates.  He  readied  the  Amorican  l\ei)ul)lic  in  a  half 
starvj'd  conditir)n.  thanlcful  that  he  was  stil  alive,  after  a 
voyaj^e  of  tliree  and  one  half  months. 

It  apj)ears  he  t')ok  upon  lumself  the  task  of  ^^eoe-raphical 
discovei'ies  in  -Nmerica.  |)roceedin;.,'  to  I'tiiladelphia,  thonce 
to  St.  Louis  and  to  l-'ort  Sn<'llin^'.  from  which  plac(!  lie 
addressed  a  characteristic  conLmunication  to  "The  Countess" 
on.MayLM.  l^-iJ.  Ih-  remained  at  Kort  Sncdlin^'  until  the 
lollowinj;? -Inly  when  ho  asked  and  s('curod  permission  to  ac- 
company MaJ.  Lon^',  who  was  in  ciiar^'eof  an  expedition  for 
the  United  States  f?overnm<;nt,  on  a  journey  up  th(5  Minnesota 
rivei-  to  IVijjT  Stone  lake  and  down  the  Red  river  of  the  North 


HKI/I  ICAMI  S    SOYACiK.  187 

to  l*«'rnl)iii;i.  Ifc  atoIc:  "My  lirst  iiitctitiun.  Ihatnf  ffoiny 
in  Hf^ar'li  <»!  the  f«'jil  soiirct-s  oT  ihf  ,\Iis^>issi|tpi,  was 
always  Ix'l'on-  my  «'y<!S." 

Tht;  cansj's  of  1  lie  contcmitt  in  wliicfi  Major  lion;;  lioid 
licit  rami,  the  joncncy  ii|>  the  Minn«'sot,a  and  down  tins  Red 
liver,  l)iitTalo  liiints,  ftinrt'n'ncos  with  tin;  Sifjux  Indians  and 
iIm!  rf'fiisiil  of  M.'ijof  Fion^'  ;it  |N'inl)in;i  to  further  p«>rniit 
I'ejtrami  to  ri-tnain  with  his  di'tacJirncnt,  juc  well  known  to 
readers  ol  events  occnrin;.?  at  that,  time. 

At  I'etntjin:;,  Beltrami  undertook  to  ac(!oni|)lisli  the  dream 
of  his  existxsnce-  th«!  dis(tovei'y  of  t,h«!  source  of  the  Missis 
sippi  river,  and  with  two  ('hippewas  and  one  (nix<!d  Mood, 
lie  star'ted  <mi  his  \-oyaj^«!  t.o  lietJ  lakts,  hut  before  reachin;r 
that  place,  his  ^uide  return«!d  and  he  was  desorted  by  liis 
Indian  (•ompanions,  aft<'r  an  jittacK-  from  a,  horjy  of  Sioux, 
:ind  he  was  left  alone  to  propel  his  canoe  up  the  stream  tr> 
lied  lakf).  Not  knowin^c  how  to  mana^f!  a  birrth  canoe,  it 
cai)sized,  throwinj^'  him  into  IIk;  stream,  but  he  finally  |)ro 
cfjodod  on  his  journey  up  iIm-  river  by  wading  in  advance  of 
his  canoe,  and,  with  a  tow  line,  carryin«,c  't^  hy  main  force 
a«^ainst  the  current,  lie  I'cached  Ked  lake  and  en^'a«,'in^c  a 
•;uid(!  and  int<!rpr(!ter,  procefuled.  c()nsiderin<^  himself  in  a 
iountry  "when^  no  white  man  had  prc'viously  travf'll(3d." 
Now  comm<!n(;ed  what  Beltrami  rej^arded  as  a  rapid  advanco- 
ment  to  th<!  pinnacle  of  fam*;.  He  was  guided  to  dilfcirent 
lak(!S  in  th«.' locality,  to  whi(;h  Im;  attaclied  names,  lb;  jir-o- 
c(;<!ded  upon  the  theory  th.'it  "the  .sources  (^f  a  river  whifdi 
are  most  in  a  rij^ht  line  with  its  mouth,  should  be  considered 
as  its  principal  sources,  and  j)articularly  when  they  issue 
from  a  <-,ardinal  point  and  flow  to  th<!  on<(  direr:tly  opposite." 

lie  left  Ued  lake  Auf^ust  LMith.  1823,  and  pi-oc('(;ded  by  well 


\'4H  TWf.  Mississii'iM   KiVKii  AM»  ITS  soirurK. 

Utiown  |)(jitii^c.s  uiKltT  tlw  <Jii'»'c!i«»n  ol  liis  ;^ui(l<',  lowunl 
Turtle  lul:<'.  attach  in;,'  tiaiiK's  lo  Ww  difTfnjtit,  lak«'.sh«'  passffl 
f)i)  Ills  rr)ut»'.  siibNistifi;^' f*!!  ;^arii«'  iiii<i  wild  vivo..  On  tho  I'^ith 
of  Aii^^usl.  lu'  was  ;^ni(lH<I  to  a  spot  Ik;  dos(!rib«'s  as  \h*- 
lii^^lu.'st  laruJ  of  North  Airn(ri<ta,  :un\  castin;^  his  ••y«>  arf)un«l. 
lit!  p«;n;«'iv«'<|  the  Mow  of  wat<irs.  .south,  to  th«' <  Julf  of  M«!xi<o; 
north,  to  tlic  fro/cti  soa;  (sust,  to  th*'  Atlantir;  und  w«':st. 
towards  thf  I'liciijc  Ocoan. 

Tho  lan;;ua;,'<'  iisf^d  hy  Hidtranii  in  (h'scrihin;^  this  spot 
is  KO  <!Xtr!ior(linary  that  it  is  w<fll  worth  a  <'ar«?ful  study.  It 
is  a  koy  to  tin;  characrtcr  of  th«!  «fxil«!  who  carrH!  to  Atiu'.v'icn 
to  p«!rfofin  |i'at,s  iri  discov^Ty  sidTi(;i«'nt  to  astonish  th<- 
woi'ld,  ;in<l  as  a  spocirnon  of  his  writin;j^s  the  followin.L' 
quotation   is  ^rivcn: 

"A  \'ast  pliitlocni  crowns  tliis  distin;?uish«j<l  suppMnc 
t'lovatiori,  and  what  is  inoro  astonishing;,  in  th«(  midst,  of  it 
ris(!S  a  lake.  How  is  this  lake  forrncdy  Wlusncj!  do  it^^ 
waters  pro(;«!«!u y  This  lake  has  no  issiu;!  And  my  eyes 
which  aie  not  delicicnt  in  sharpness  cannot  <iis(;over  in  the 
whole  <!xt<!nt  of  the  clearest  and  wi(h!st  hoi'i/on,  any  land 
which  rises  abov«(  it.  All  places  around  it  are,  on  the  con 
trary,  consid<!rahly  lowc!-.'" 

lioltratni  prfM;eede(|  to  examine  the  surr"oundin;.c  country, 
its  charactteristics,  searched  j'oi-  volcanic  action,  srjundcd  the 
lak(;  to  find  it  hotlomlnss,  named  it  *  Lake  .lulia."'  and  pi-o 
nouncod  it  the  .luliati  sf)urc(,'s  of  liloody  river  und  the  .lulian 
.sourc(!S  of  the  .Mississippi.  This,  withfjut  ((\«!n  invosti^atin;r 
wViotlK'r  the  waters  of  Lake  Julia.  so-(;alled,  fr>und  their  way 
into  liio  Mississippi  or  not.  II<!  accfjptod  tho  statement  of  Ids 
;;uido  that  they  did  tiiat  Keom«!d  U)  bo  siif!ici<;nt,  and  Lake 
Julia  was  published  U)  the;  (mtirecivilized  worldas  lh<!.sf»urce 


MKI/IUA.MI  S    \(>V.\<;K. 


IHO 


<»l  Ihf  Mi.ssi,ssi|i|ii  iiv'«'r.  II  is  chiiiiis  tn  ofi;fiiml  <li.s<*«)\ory  w«tr«! 
vsiriously  <-r>iiiMiciiti-<l  upon,  t«»  somi-  fxtftii  acci-ptiuj,  pi'iii- 
<*ipi'illy  in  KiinuM'.  \m\  tlif  ;ictivo  nxploralions  mI'  Aiinjriciuti 
;;«'o<^r!iplnTs  soon  siip«'i<<-(lc<)  liiiii  in  iictuul  ilis<!oviiri«H  and 
lli«!  r;iri<ilul  ".luiiiin  Souro-s"  w«t«'  «'X|»lo(lc<l  to  j?iv«  plarto 
lo  t,h<!  ifiii  sourci'.  It  is  a  sin«fui!ir  (•<t\iic\(U'i\f*'  that  \itd- 
tratni    wroU-   f)l'  his    lak«!:     '-It  is  fV»rnn'<i    in  flit-   sliapf  of  a 


^ 


^^^  v^^, 


^"XwH   K  '*  t  *L  £, 


7'Ae /i<y~f  lu-^</     -       fit 


KXII!A*'I'    KltOM    ISKI/IICAMI'S   r  IIAUT.   I«2H. 

h«;ai't,  und  it  iriny  h<!  Iriiiy  said  to  sjx^ak  of  iht;  v«'cy  soul." 
'IMion;  appf'iii's.  latcf  on,  ;int»tln'r  licjirt,  shap<'<l  l;tl\<'  in  \,\ni 
history  of  tfi*-  sourr-c.  Mis  j^uidf  advisod  liini  of  tli<!  <!xist- 
I'uc.i'.  of  Lac  La  liichi'.  and  h<!  {)lac«'d  i1  upon  Mm;  chart  as 
"l>oo  lak<},  W.  source  of  thr;  Mississippi." 

It  is  a  fact  that  tin;  astronotruir  Thornpson   ii;i<l.    Iwcnty- 
livo  yoars  pr«;vious  U)  Beltrami's  visit,  surveyed  th<;  .Julian 


14>)  'JHK    MISSIHSll'I'l    iilVEK   AND    ITS   SOUHCK. 

lake  region  with  somewhat  different  I'esults.  and  certainly 
with  less  e.vajJT^erated  claims  to  discoveries,  without  Pike's 
map  to  g-iiide  him. 

Beltrami  found  his  way  into  the  waters  of  Cass  lake,  vis- 
ited Leech  lake  and  aftei"  varying  hardships  and  privations, 
reached  Port  Snelling,  Fort  St.  Charles  on  the  Missouri, 
and  New  Orleans.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing,  his  raiment  had  been  entirely  exhausted,  his  apparel 
now  being  only  such  as  had  been  supplied  him  by  the  In- 
dians— with  a  piece  of  bark  for  a  hat. 

A  copy  Qf  his  map  ^  is  giv^en  herewitli,  snowing  Lake 
Julia,  upon  which  also,  will  be  noticed  Doe  lake,  now  known 
as  Itasca.  This  map  has  a  pointed  similarity  to  that  of 
Lieut.  Pike's— 1805-6. 

Beltrami  found  his  way  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  pub- 
lished LA  DECOUVEKTE  DES  SOURCES  DU  MISSIS- 
SIPPI, in  lb24.  It  would  appeur  that  he  was  .severely  criti- 
cised by  American  newspapers  at  that  time. 

The  researches  of  Mr.  Alfred  J.  Hill  have  brought  to  the 
attention  of  Minnesotians,  Beltrami's  personal  history,  from 
the  records  of,  and  correspondence  with,  the  authorities 
of  Bergamo.  '^  He  embarked  at  New  Orleans  for  Mexico, 
which  country  he  traversed  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean  and  returning  reached  London  about  A.  D.  1827, 
where  he  published  his  '  •  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and 
America "  in  two  volumes,  a  work  from  which  is  taken,  in 
connection  with  the  publication  of  Mr.  Hill,  these  brief 
facts  of  Beltrami's  history  and  assumed  geographical  dis- 
coveries. That  he  was  an  adventurer  of  considerable  note, 
will  be  readily  admitted.     His  career  during  the  remainder 

1.  Beltrami's  map  should  be  compared  wiili  that  of  Lieut.  I'ilce. 

2.  Beltrami's  native  town. 


BELTUAMIS    VOYAOK.  141 

of  his  life  from  182ft  to  IH')")  was  of  no  special  interest.  He 
died  at  the  age  seventy-tive  at  Filotrano.  Twu  portraits 
of  Beltrami  appear — one  in  his  Indian  costume  while  he  was 
at  Leech  lake,  produced  in  his  •■  Pilgrimage"  and  a  repro- 
duction of  Prof.  Scuri  from  the  former,  supplemented  by 
traditionary  information — the  latter  portrait,  a  conspic- 
uously imaginary  production,  is  given  herewith.  Prof. 
Scuri,  no  doubt,  drew  largely  upon  his  fancy,  inasmuch  as 
the  facts  point  with  an  unerring  certainty  to  Beltrami's 
abject  condition,  with  but  little  food  and  scanty  apparel 
while  he  sojourned  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  but  for  the  kindness  of  the  charitably  inclined 
Chippewas  who  accompanied  him  from  Leech  lake  to  Fort 
Snelling,  he  would  probably  have  perished.  Due  credit  is 
given  Beltrami  in  placing  upon  his  map,  "Doe  lake,  west 
source  of  the  Mississippi,"  afterwards  named  Itasca,  though 
of  its  existence  and  name.  Gen.  Cass"  Expedition  of  1820 
gave  the  first   published  infoi'mation. 

He  gathered  and  transported  to  Europe  many  Indian  curi- 
osities, which  are  now  in  the  possession  of  the  authorities 
of  the  city  of  Bergamo,  commemorative  of  his  voyage 
through  the  lines  of  hostile  and  warring  tribes  of  the 
Northwest  at  so  early  a  date,  and  of  his  claims  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Julian  sources. 

Beltrami  County  has  been  inscribed  upon  the  geography 
of  Minnesota  in  honor  of  his  memory,  and  singularly 
enough,  the  Itascan  as  well  as  the  so-called  Julian  source, 
are  both  situated  within  its  limits. 


SIKDIVISIOX  ELEVENTH. 


HENRY  ROWE  SCHOOLCRAFT;  HE  ACCOMPANIES 
GEN.  CASS  IX  IbL'O  ;  PROCEEDS  TO  LAC  LABICHE  IN 
1832 ;  SELECTS  THE  NAME  ITASCA  ;  DISCOVERS 
THE  LAKE;  SCHOOLCRAFT  ISLAND ;  OZAWINDIH. 


The  peace  of  Utrecht,  1718.  controlled  the  destinies  of 
an  English  gentleman  of  education  and  refinement,  who 
came  to  America  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne.  He 
settled  in  Albany  County.  New  York,  establishing  an  Eng- 
lish school,  and  his  descendants  continued  their  residence 
there  for  a  hundred  years.  One  of  the  descendants  of 
this  family  was  Col.  Lawi-ence  Schoolcraft,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and  commanding,  in  the  war  of  1812,  the 
first  regiment  contributed  by  his  locality.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Barbara  Rowe.  of  German  parentage. 
Henry  Rowe  Schoolcraft,  the  subject  of  this  portion  of 
the  present  inquiry  and  examination,  was  the  seventh  of 
a  large'  family,  the  issue  of  this  union.  Enjoying  the 
advantages  of  an  early  education,  he  pursued  an  advanced 
course  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  and  Middlebury, 
Vermont.  At  the  time  the  attention  of  this  country  was 
drawn  to  the  resources  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  he  ac- 
cepted the  offer  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 


#' 


^-t^e- 


^^^  -^^-— ^     -^^^^^ 


^'^^(^^^^-^e^^V^lrrrtg^^^^:^ 


HENKY    HOWE   SCHt)OL(  UAKT.  143 

four,  to  on^ugo  in  da  exploration  of  the  country  west  of 
the  great  river,  spending  two  years  in  the  territory  now 
comprising  the  states  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  publish- 
ing on  his  return  two  treatises,  which  brought  liis  ca- 
pabilities as  a  geologist  and  geographer  before  the  public, 
and  his  services  were  called  for  as  geologist  and  miner- 
alogist to  the  expedition  of  Lewis  Cass,  from  Detroit. 
Michigan,    in   1820,    to  the   sources   of   the   Mississippi. 

Leaving  New  York  city  by  stage,  March  5th,  1^20,  vis- 
iting Niagara  with  horse  and  buggy,  embarking  for  Detroit 
on  the  steamer  Walk- in-the- Water,  he  arrived  at  his  des- 
tination on  May  8th.  The  Cass  expedition,  with  School- 
craft as  a  scientific  attache,  left  Detroit  May  24th.  1820, 
and  by  an  extraordinary  canoe  voyage,  memorable  in  the 
history  of  the  Northwest,  proceeded  to  the  great  lakes, 
to  the  west  end  of  Superior,  up  the  St.  Louis  river, 
portaging  to  the  Mississippi,  and  up  the  great  river  to 
Cass  lake;  thence  down  the  river  by  way  of  Fort  Snell- 
Ing,  visiting  Carver's  cave,  proceeding  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
across  the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  arriving  at  Detroit, 
September  23d. 

During  this  extraordinary  canoe  voyage.  Mr.  School- 
craft made  daily  observations  of  geologic  formations  and 
niineralogic  deposits  through  the  entire  region  traversed, 
including  the  copper  mines  of  Superior,  the  lead  mines 
at  Galena,  and  the  clay  deposits  at  Milwaukee,  making 
a  detailed  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  accompanied 
by  charts,    of  all  his  observations. 

The  Cass  expedition  failed  to  discover  the  ultimate 
Basin  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi.  Hov-'ever. 
the   peculiar  capabilities  of  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  indicated  by 


144 


THE  MISSISSIi'IM    IJIVKti    AND    ITS    SOl-RCK. 


his  scientitic  n-port  to  the  authorities  at  Washin«i:ton. 
phiced  Ills  services  in  demand,  and  in  1^;10.  as  United 
States  Superintendent  of  Indian  Atfairs  for  Michigan, 
residinj^r  at  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  he  received  instructions 
from  tlie  department  at  Washington  to  visit  the  North- 
west in  charge  of  an  expedition,  ostensibly  for  confer- 
ences with   the   Indians,    but    in   reality   to   determine   the 

true  source  of  the 
Mississippi.  Not  until 
183l»  did  the  School, 
craft  expedition  make 
its  final  and  successful 
discovery.  The  Rev. 
\V.  T.  Boutwell.  repre- 
senting a  Board  of 
Commissioners  forPor- 
eign  Missions,  accom 
panied  this  expedition. 
The  Lac  La  Biche 
was  already  known  to 
exist,  and  Mi.  School- 
craft was  determined 
to  reach  it,  carrying 
out  his  other  objects 
of  observation  while  en  route  by  canoe  voyage  through 
Lake  •  Superior.  Messrs.  Schoolcraft  and  Boutwell 
were  personal  associates,  voyaging  in  the  same  canoe 
through  Superior,  and  while  conversing  on  their  travels 
along  the  south  shore  of  the  great  lake,  the  name  "Itasca" 
was  selected  in  the  following  manner,  in  advance  of  its 
discovery  by   Schoolcraft's  party. 


KEV.  W.  T.  BOUTWELL. 


raf^tisc 


Lo/f' '  Ptaft^ctoenetr 


Schoolcrayt  / 


»  ie*if^J''t  »H  /^  ^-*^  ^v>t  «?^cc  o    ^/  Co  Otif  iZ^s  , 


"^ 


^^. 


><^ 


%% 


.^^ 


^'^^'    2?e5    T^^'^'eS 


ri^^ 


SKETCH  OF  TIIE  SOURCES  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  KIVER.      DRAWN  TO  ILLUSTRATE 
SCHOOLCRAFT'S  INLAND  JOURNEY  TO  ITASCA   LAKE,   1832. 


HKNKV    UOVVE   SCHOOLCKAFT.  145 

Mr.  Schoolcraft,  having;  up]>Grmost  in  liis  mind  the 
source  of  the  river,  oxpectinjr  and  determined  to  reach 
it,  suddenly  turned  and  asked  Mr.  Boutwell  for  the  (Jreek 
itnd  Latin  dofitition  of  the  lieadwaters  or  true  source  of 
a  river.  Mr.  Boutwell.  after  much  thouj^ht,  could  not  rally 
his  memory  of  Greek  sutticiently  to  designate  the  phrase, 
but  in  Latin  selected  the  stronj?est  and  most  pointed 
expressions,  •  lV'/*<7a.s".  and  "('n/iKt," — Truth.  Head.'  This 
was  written  on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  Mr.  Schoolcraft  struck 
out  the  first  and  last  three  letters,  and  announced  to  Mr. 
Boutwell  that  "Itasca  shall  be  the  name." 

However.  Mr.  Schoolcraft  says:  '' Havinj^r  previously  got 
an  inkling  of  some  of  their  (Indian)  mythological  and 
necromantic  notions  of  th  i  origin  and  mutations  of  the 
country,  which  permitted  the  use  of  a  female  name  for 
it,  I  denominated  it  Itasca."  From  Rev.  W.  T.  Bout- 
well'^ in  person,  a  vivid  description  of  the  naming  of 
Itasca  as   above   given  was  secured. 

The  party  passed  over  nearly  the  identical  route  tra 
versed  by  the  Cass  expedition,  reaching  Cass  lake  July 
lOtii,  1832,  and  upon  the  advice,  information  and  guidance 
of  Ozawindib,  a  Chippewa  Indian,  proceeded  in  birch 
canoes,  up  the  main  tributary  of  Cass  lake,  up  the  smaller 
fork  of  the  Mississippi,  thence  by  portage  to  the  east 
shore  of  the  east  arm  of  Itasca  lake,  and  to  an  encamp- 
ment on  Schoolcraft  island.  During  the  day,  Mr.  School- 
craft traversed  the  shores  of  Itasca,  erecting  the  Stars 
and    Stripes  on   the    island,  and   returned   to    Cass   lake; 


1  The  first  words  Klven  by  Mr.  Boutwell.  however,  were  ••Veruin",  "Caput."  and 
Mr.  Schoolcraft  chose  the  last  words  jiivon. 

'■i  Recently  decea.sed. 
-10 


un 


THK    MISSISSMMM    IMVEU    AND    ITS   SOUUt'E. 


Ihence  to   Limu-Ii    lako.    down 
to  hiH  destination   u|)on   the 


MRS.   .lAXK  SCnOOLCUAFT. 

in  which    he  livod— geology, 


lh»,'    Crow   Wing  river,    and 

return  voyage.* 

For  nearly  fifty  y»'ars 
Mr.  Schoolcraft  was  in 
the  service  of  the  gov 
ernment  of  the  United 
States  as  geologist, 
mineralogist,  and  geog- 
rapher, and  his  reports 
and  communications  are 
voluminous,  and  for  the 
period  of  time  during 
which  his  observations 
were  made,  were  con- 
sidered highly  valuable 
and  creditable,  as  well 
to  himself  as  to  the  au- 
thority he  represented. 
We  must  judge  of  Mr. 
Schoolcraft  as  of  the  time 

in  its  infancy  in  the  western 


1  III  1821,  while  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Michlfran,  Mr.  Seluxjlcraft  becaino  acqualnti-d 
with  .lolin  .loliiiston.  Es(|.,  and  his  attrai'tivi-  faniilv.  Mr.  Jolinston  was  an  Iii<li 
gontloiitau.  In  fact,  an  aristocrat,  o'  supiTlor  education  and  courtly  manners,  wlio 
claimed  anionj?  his  Ivinsmen  tiic  Kisliop  of  Dromore  and  Mr.  Saurin,  Attorney  Gen- 
eral of  Ireland.  Mr.  Jol'.iiston  was  attracted  by  tlic  beautiful  daujiliterof  one  of 
the  reno\vn(41  Indian  cliiefs  of  tlie  0,jil)W!iys.  Waul)o.)ef>r.  and  married  lier.  Tliclr 
eldest  dau^liter.  Jane,  was  sent  in  her  early  childliood  to  Dublin,  to  t)e  educated 
under  tlie  supervision  of  Mr.  Jolmston's  kindred  tht-re.  Mr.  .Johnston's  means 
enal)led  liim  to  dispense  u  liospitality  almost  princely,  and  Mr.  Schoolcraft  was 
amonj;  those  who  shared  in  it.  and  when  Miss  .lane  Johnston  returned  home,  Mr. 
Sclioolcraft  was  Immediately  captivated,  not  only  by  her  personal  attractions,  l)ut 
by  the  grace  and  culture  of  a  mind  that  added  to  the  advantages  of  education  and 
accomplishments  the  refinement  of  a  poetic  nature.  After  her  marriage  with 
Mr.  Schoolcraft,  slie  was  a  true  sympathizer  in  all  his  pursuits  and  a  valual)ie 
helper.  The  romantic  pride  wliicli  slie  felt  ijccausc  of  lier  descent  on  the  mother's 
side  from  one  of  the  native  Ivliis^  of  tlic  count  r.\,  iinluci-d  lier  to  perfect  herself  in 


HKNKY    HOWy.  8CHOOLCUAKT.  147 

country',  peo^raphic  discovory  inconipl<'t<\  ;ind  a  School- 
craft, yoiuij;  and  ambitious  to  siozc  tlic  opportunity  offered 
for  exploration  and  topojirraphic  examination,  commissioned 
with  authority,  endowed  with  ener^jy.  enli^rhtencd  in  his 
younger  years  by  civilized  contact,  sensibi*'  of  his  sur- 
roundin;;s  and  opportunities— the  educated  <;entleniaii. 
rej)resentin^'  his  country  "u  an  inipoi'taiit  tifld  of  labor. 
He  has  jfiveu  us  "Itasca."'  and  the  name  will  live  until 
the  end  of  time —  a  monument  to  those  who  so  uniquely 
constructed  its  name. 

Mr.  Schoolcraft  wrote  : 

"  VViiliin  a  l)eaut«'uus  basin,  fair  outspread 
Ilfsporiiin  woitcllarids  of  the  western  sl<y, 

As  if  in  Indian  niytlis  a  trnth  there  could  be  read. 
And  these  were  tears  indeed,  by  fair  Itasca  shed." 

It  is  not  proposed  herein  to  ex])ress  any  opinion  as  to 
what  purpose  Mr.  Schoolcraft  had  in  withholding  from  the 
public  the  manner  in  which  this  name  was  sele(  ted,  nor 
to  discuss  the  inference  drawn  from  the  record  he  has 
left  us,  in  which  he  plainly  intimates  that  the  name  was 
tluit  of  a  female.  mytholo»rical.  necromantic  or  otherwise  ; 
it  is  but  of  small  consequence.  Certain  it  is.  the  word  was 
never  heard  of  or  known  in  Ojibway  mythology.  'There 
is  no  such  word  nor  even  any  remotely  resembling  it  in  the 
Ojibway  language."  writes  Kev.  J    A.  Giltillan,  for  sixteen 


llie  Indian  iiinRuaRP.  atid  tlius  she  lu'canu-  of  einitu'iit  wervice  in  proiiiolins;  her 
husband's  knowledge  of  and  iiilliu'nce  ainoiij;  tlio  tril)es.  She  i>:  t-redited  by  sorne 
lis  beiri};  tlio  authoress  of  a  portion  of  Mr.  Schnoleraffs  •'.\rchlves  of  Aboriginal 
Ivnowledge  ",  and  otlier  works. 

Mr.  Solioolcraft  was  retained  in  uovernmiiQt  service  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie  for  some 
ten  years,  wlien  he  was  assigned  to  tlie  ''Agency  "  at  Mackinac  where  liis  home  was 
a  social  center,  and  where  many  travelersof  distinction  found  agenerous hospital- 
ity under  liis  roof.  AI)out  tlie  year  1840  lie  returned  to  his  native  state.  In  lt<42. 
he  u^ade  bis  long  desired  visit  to  England,  and  while  he  was  absent  his  wife  died. 


148 


THK   MISSISSIPPI    HIVEK    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 


years  a  student  of  the  language  *.     Prejudices  existed  to 
some  extent  against  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  for  it  was  but  natural 

that  voyageurs  in  those  early 
days  should  deride  the  ex- 
ploits and  successes  of  others 
in  whom  they  had  no  interest, 
and  of  whose  labors  they 
heard    but    to    condemn. 

AstoMv  Schoolcraft's  sojourn 
at  Itasca  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  reached  the  lake, 
much  might  be  said.  The  tale 
is  a  simple  one  of  oi'dinary 
occurrences  and  extraordinary 
results.  The  Ojibway,  Oza- 
windib.  residing  with  his  tribe 
at  Cass  Irke,  had  his  hunting 
grounds  in  the  direction  of  the 
Basin  and  knew  the  locality 
w^ell,  in  fact  it  was  his  home 
and  field  of  subsistence,  and  he. 
an  uncrowned  king  of  the  forest, 
with  an  undisputed  title  to  a  do- 


Se,hoolc>»/ 


SOURCES 

OF  THE 

MISSISSIPPI  RIVEK, 

DRAWN   TO  ILLUSTRATE 

SCHOOLCRAFT'S  DISCOVERIES, 

BY  CAl'T.  S.  EASTMAN, 

U,    S.    A. 

1855. 


1.  Durln;:  an  interview  witli  Kev.  W.  T.  Boutwell,  by  tlie  writer,  a  few  months 
previous  to  liis  deatli,  he  made  tlie  following  statement : 

"Mr.  Schooli-raft  and  myself  were  personal  friends  and  at  his  instance  I 
became  a  "member  of  liis  party  in  1832.  We  proceeded  on  our  westward  journey 
along  the  south  shore  of  Superior  in  the  same  canoe,  as  eotnpanions.  I 
think  it  was  at  a  point  west  of  the  Pictured  Rocks,  while  we  were  voyaging  in 
our  canoe,  that  Mr.  Schoolcraft  suddenly  turned  to  me  one  day  and  asked  the 
question,  "what  is  the  Greek  and  Latin  definition  of  tl»e  iiead waters  or  true 
source  of  a  river  V  After  much  thought  I  could  not  rally  my  memory  of  G  .2k 
sufBclently  to  designate  the  name  ;  but  in  Latin.  I  selected  the  strongest  and 
most  pointed  expressions.  The  tirst  words  given  by  me  were  VisrHm  Caput.  But  I 
told  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  if  he  wanted  stronger  words,  he  could  take  Veritas,  Caput, 
which  meant,  .Truth '' Head.'     I  wrote  the  words  on  a  slip  of  paper  and  Mr. 


HENHY    HOWE    SCHOOLCRAFT.  149 

main  sinco  sciuandered  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  His  distinguish- 
ed guests  were  given  the  liberty  of  his  domain  and  as  their 
guide  and  host,  he  led  the  party  into  the  wilderness,  up  the 
main  stream,  to  the  head  of  the  lesser  branch,  across  the  hills 
and  valleys  and  swamps  of  the  intervening  country  to  the 
east  shore  of  the  east  arm  of  Itasca,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
southeastern  affluent,  on  July  IJith,  183l!.  At  the  summit  of 
jiny  considerable  hill  there,  the  outlines  of  the  Basin  with  its 
distinct  blue  lines  of  curvature  can  be  seen  resting  against 
the  shadows  of  the  horizon.  Thus  Schoolcraft  viewed  the 
Basin.  He  hurriedly — almost  carelessly— examined  the 
shores  of  Itasca  lake  from  Ozawindib's  canoe,  noted  his  ob- 
servations in  botany  and  geology,  and  accepted  his  Indian 
guide's  suggestion  that  there  was  a  small  brook  entering 
the  arm  of  the  lake  immediately  to  the  south  of  Schoolcraft 
island.  There  is  no  evidence  that  he  saw  that  brook.  Dr. 
Houghton.  Lieut.  Allen  and  Rev.  W  T.  Boutwell.  his  com- 
panions, busied  themselves  in  as  hasty  an  accomplishment 
of  their  requirements  as  did  Schoolcraft  himself,  and  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  their  arrival  they  were  all  far  on 
their  return  journey  down  the  main  stream.  Mr.  School- 
craft's map  indicates  the  haste  with  which  he  delineated  the 
shores  of  the  lake,  and  Ozawindib  was  undoubtedly  his  prin- 
cipal draughtsman  at  that  time.  The  camp  on  Schoolcraft 
island  attached  its  name  to  the  place  by  common  consent  as 
Schoolcraft's  camp — hence  the  name  of  the  island.  No  rec- 
ord, except  Lieut.  Allen's,  is  found  as  to  any  definite  action 


Sc'luioleiiift  told  ino  lie  slioiiUl  strike  init  the  first  and  la.st  letters  of  VerUas.  Caput. 
und  that  'Iiasca  shall  be  the  name.'  " 

This  interview  was  a  very  iuterestiug  one,  had  at  Mr.  Boutwell's  home,  during 
wbich  lie  related  many  cireurustanoes  concerning  the  voyage  of  1832.  He  said  no 
religious  reniionies  were  held  at  Itasoa  lake  at  that  time.  Heing  a  missionary  he 
was  known  ariiong  the  Indians  as  "Tlie  Black  Coat." 


ir.o 


TFIK    MISSISSIPPI   KIVEK   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 


naming  the  place.     They  had  the  right  to  i)lace  these  names 
there  and  that  right  is  amply  recognized.     As  to  the  charac 


SCHOOLCRAFT  S   MAI"  OF   ITASCA     LAKE,    iilK    SOURCE    OF    THE    MISSI^- 

SIl'l'I     RIVER.       'MiJO    MILES     FROM    TIIV:     I'.ALI/.E.       a    MISSISSII'I'I 

RIVER,      h.    ROUTE  OF  EXPEDITION.     C.   SCHOOLCRAFT  ISLAND. 

AS    MODIFIED    IX   1855    FROM    MAP  OF   18.'?2. 

ter  of  Ozawindib — the  real  leader  of  Schoolcraft's  party  from 
Cass  to  Itasca  and  return,  directing  all  their  movements, 
pointing  out  the  route  of  passage,  controlling  the  footsteps 
of  the  ambitious  explorers,  discovering  to  Schoolcraft  the 
real  lake  and  its  importance — he  appears  to  have  been  a 
characteristic  red  chief  of  the  forest,  as  competent  as  he  was 
undeceiving,  and  without  him,  or  some  other  Indian  as  well 
equipped  in  knowledge  and  canoes,  the  Schoolcraft  j^arty 
would  have  wandered  into  the  wilderness  to  an  unsuccessful 
conclusion.  With  the  intelligent  aid  of  Ozawindib,  the  party 
were  led  to  their  discoveries,  and  within  the  calendar  week 
were  on  their  way  to  Leech  lake,  down  the  Crow  Wing  river 
in  canoes  to  attend  a  council  of  Chippewas  appointed  to 
be  held,  long  before,     Itas'ca  was  reached  for  a  specific  date. 


HENUY    KOWK    SCHUOLCHAFT. 


l.")! 


Thus,  Lhe  haste  of  the  ox])editi<m  to  leave  the  Itasca  Basin, 

without  judicious  exploration,  is  accounted  for. 

It  is  presumed,  reasona- 
bly, that  Mr.  Schoolcraft 
would  have  been  astonished 
to  learn  that  nearly  one 
hundred  bodies  of  water^ 
existed  within  that  basin, 
and  that  the  princii)al 
afHuents  came  from  beyond 
the  lake  he  so  artistically 
named,  chiefly  from  Greater 
and  Lesser  reservoirs,  the 
ultimate  water-shed  of  na- 
ture's  formation,    there. 

On  the  return  journey. 
Mr.  Schoolcraft  separated 
himself    from     his    escort, 

Mus.  JANE  scnooLcuAFT  iiowAiiD.    under    command  of    Lieut. 

Allen,  by  going   forward  at  a   rapid   rate,  occasionally   in 

the  darkness  of  night. 


1  In  Miss  Bishop's  '•  rioiiil  Hoini'."  IS.">T,j).  2T,  slio  says:  "Wo  believe,  on  good 
iiuthorily,  that  tlie  reported  source  of  tlie  Mississippi  is  not  the  eorreet  one. 
Captula  Eastman  of  tlie  U.  S.  Army,  and  otliers  liavin^;  equal  fa"ilities  foi'  nialvinj; 
a  correct  opinion,  witli  wlioiu  I  liave  conversed,  assert  its  orifiin  to  lie  a  hundred  ni 
more  lakes,  of  wliich  Itasci  Is  one.  all  centeriiii;  in  one  point  to  form  tliendghty 
river."    A  statement  not  very  far  from  the  truth. 


STlU)TVTsr0X  TWELFTH. 


A  MILITARY  ESCORT  :  LIEUT.  JAMES  ALLEN  AND 
DETACHMENT  ACCOMPANY  SCHOOLCRAFT ;  HIS 
OBSERVATIONS  AND  REPORT. 


At  Washington  city.  May  9th,  183l\  Gen.  A.  Macomb. 
Major  General  commanding  the  army,  ordered  a  detail 
of  one  office]'  and  ten  or  twelve  men  from  the  garrison 
at  Fort  Brady,  to  accompany  Mr.  Schoolcraft  into  the 
Indian    country. 

The  detail  consisted  of  Lieut.  James  Allen,'  one  cor- 
poral and  nine  privates.  Lieut.  Allen  was  directed  to  keep 
an  accurate  journal  and  report  at  length  a  description  of 
the  country,  a  topographic  map  of  the  i-oute,  and  points 
of  importance,  the  character  and  manners  of  Indian  tribes, 
subsistence,  game,  tish,  and  mineral  and  geologic  observa- 
tions, and  •his  views  upon  questions  of  natural  history. 

Lieut.  Allen  was  subject  to  the  orders  of  Mr.  School- 
craft, so  far  as  his  escort  duties  were  concerned,  and 
proceeded  with  that  gentleman  to  the  Itasca  Basin.  By 
placing  a  compass  in  the  bottom  of  his  canoe,  Lieut. 
Allen  was  enabled  to  nole  down  extensive  observations 
as   to  topography,    keeping  a  very  accurate  record  of   dis- 


1  Appointed  to  West  Point  mlUtary  academy.  .luly  1st.  1825.  from  Madison.  Jeffer- 
son ooiinty,  Indiana;  graduated  in  1829.  and  assigned  to  duty  as  M  Lieutenant, 
5th  Infant rv. 


v\'""/v^^','/'-''V"'' 


Sm\i!^^^I'; 


%v;:;^^. 


%;^'^-^^, 
^^Z-;;-'-'. 


^., 


</>     ^-  --i-^r 


EXTRACT  FROM  LIEUT.   J,  ALLEN'S  MAP,   1832.      SCHOOLCRAFT'S  EXPEDITION. 


A    MILITAKY    KSrOUT.  153 

tances  and  directions.  Ai  riving'  at  Itast-y,  lake,  July  13th. 
1H32,  with  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  havin«ir  encamped  his  detach- 
ment at  Cass  lake,  he  says  the  party  spent  a  couple  of 
hours  at  Schoolcraft  island,  and  after  raising  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  they  coasted  nearly  the  entire  shores  of  the 
lake,  which  was  about  seven  miles  long  and  from  one 
to  three  broad,  having  but  one  small  creek  entering  the 
west  arm,  not  of  sufficient  size  to  admit  of  the  use  of 
even  a  small  canoe.  He  noted  on  his  map  the  position 
of  Itasca  lake  as  follows  : 

Latitude  47    10' 
Longitude  9.'    'A' 

It  would  appear  that  the  name  of  Schoolcraft  island 
was  selected  by  Lieut.  Allen,  as  described  in  his  journal. 
Mr.  Boutwell,  however,  remembers  the  name  of  the  camj) 
there  as  "Schoolcraft  camp"',  which  by  common  consent 
of  all  present  attached  also  t(;  the  island.  As  memory 
may  be  more  at  fault  than  a  well  noted  journal  of  each 
day,  possibly  Lieut.  Allen  gave  the  name,  though  the 
difference   is   of  no   special   consequence. 

Lieut.  Allen  found  the  Mississippi  at  its  outlet  from 
Itasca,  to  be  twenty  feet  broad  and  two  feet  deep,  cur- 
rent two  miles  per  hour.  The  statement  in  his  journal 
of  July  17th,  is  made,  that  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  by  the  pres- 
entation of  a  medal,  constituted  his  guide,  Ozawindib  (Yel- 
low Head)  a  chief  of  his   band. 

Lieut.  Allen's  name  has  been  geographically  attached 
to  one  locality  of  the  Basin,  remembered  for  a  most  in- 
telligent and  detailed  journal,  of  more  than  ordinary 
interest.     With   his   report   to   his  commanding  officer,    he 


154  THK    MISSISSIIMM    lilVKU    AND    ITS    SOUKCK. 

transmitted   a   map   of   diffHrent   proportions  than    that   of 
Mr.    Schoolcraft. ' 


1  Lieut.  Allen's  military  servlro  commenced  with  his  roglnient  In  1830,  ut  Fort 
Brady.  Michigan.  On  detaohed  sfrvU-«>.  .Iiirio  Otii,  IR't'J,  up  Lake  Stiporlor  and  to  tlia 
source  of  tilt!  Mississippi.  Also  on  di'laohcd  service,  oii;;lnei'r  duty,  ut  ('hlcaiio, 
1HU7-8.  Promoted  successively  to  1st  lieutenant,  March  Hist,  IKi.'S,  and  as  captain, 
June  30th,  1S37.    Uc  died  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  August  23d,  1S46. 

The  Uev.  .lerenilah  Porter,  of  Belolt,  Wisconsin,  states.  In  answer  to  !l  communi- 
cation concerning  Lieut.  Alien,  addressed  to  him  by  the  conuiiissloner:  "  It  would 
give  me  much  pleasure  If  I  could  meet  your  wishes  concernlnj;  Lieut.  .lames  Allen, 
tbouKb  in  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  family  when  he  and  Dr.  Ilou^^hton  sitid  Lieut.  Allen 
discovered  Lake  Itasca,  and  on  their  return  they  told  me  how  they  had  named  so 
beautifully  the  lake  from  the  two  Latin  words.  In  Eiiitlish  they  do  not  exactly 
express  '•  Itasca."  I  am  f?lad  the  name  Is  retained  by  your  commbssiou.  There  was 
no  harbor  at  Clilcatfo  when  I  rea  hed  that  little  vlllaco  In  18;t3,  Lieut.  Allen  was 
one  of  the  party  eugaged  to  survey  that  city  now  so  full  of  attractions.  I  do  not 
now  find  his  name  In  the  history  of  early  times  there,  and  regret  I  cannot  it\ve  you 
additional  fa<'ts  of  a  later  date  than  ls;i:!.  How  wonderful  the  progress  of  our 
country  since  the  naming  of  thatlakel" 


snt-DivTsrov  TiriirrKKXTir. 


NICOLLET'S  SCIENTIFIC  EXPLORATIONS;  ASTRO- 
NOMICAL ABILITIES;  AN  EXILE  PROM  FRANCE; 
MAP  OF  THE  SOURCES;  EMPLOYED  BY  THE 
UNITED  STATES;  DETAILS  OF  HIS  VOYAdE  TO 
ITASCA  LAKE  :  DISCOVERS  FIVE  CREEKS;  DE- 
SCRIBES THE  LARGER  AS  THE  INFANT  MISSIS 
SIPPI;  A  CRADLED  HERCULES;  DISCOVERS 
THREE  LAKES;  CONFUSION  OF  LOCATION;  IDEAS 
AS  TO  THE  SOURCE  OF  A  RIVER. 


During  his  lifetim(,',  Jt'an  N.  Nicollet  was  a  very  import- 
ant factor  in  discoveries  touching  the  soui'ce  of  the  Missis 
sippi.  He  was  born  of  ])oor  parentage  at  Clauses.  Savoy, 
in  1790,  and  was  in  his  youth  a  musician.  Apprenticed  to  a 
watchmaker,  he  remained  with  him  until  1808,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Cambray.  where  he  subsisted  upon  the  emoluments 
of  his  occupation.  i>r()secuting  at  the  same  time  studies  in 
mathemathics.  He  afterwards  appears  as  an  instructor  in 
mathematics  in  his  native  town,  pursuing  studies  in  Latin 
and  the  languages.  His  natural  abilities  and  ambHion  soon 
guided  him  to  the  opportunities  of  higher  courses  and  he 
removed  to  Paris,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  senior  class 
of  L'Ecole  Normale,  soon  succeeding  to  a  professorship  in 
the  college  of  Louis  Le    Grand.     Jud.'.'ing  from  the  results 


156  THK    MISHISSIPIM    KIVEU    AND   ITS   BOUULVil. 

which  followed,  he  must  certainly  hiivc  ))OHNesKed  natural 
ability  to  an  extraordinary  extent.  Publications  by  hini 
upon  inathciiuitical  deductions  as  to  the  ])robabl«>  duration 
of  human  life,  upon  probabilities,  and  one  upon  assurances, 
soon  placed  him  wlu'rc  he  commanded  the  respect  of  finan- 
ciers and  admitted  him  lo  the  hijjrlier  circles  of  society,  His 
astrononruuil  studies,  afterwards  so  conspicuously  employed 
in  the  Mississippi  valley,  commenced  in  181S),  and  he  soon 
gained  a  reputation  by  his  observations  and  the  computa- 
tion of  the  parabolic  elements  of  several  comets,  one  of 
which  he  discovered,  which  placed  him  in  an  honorable 
position  in  the  *•  Bur«?au  des  Longitudes.'"  He  now  entered 
upon  a  most  successful  career,  rajjiilly  advancing  iti  fame, 
knowledge  and  financial  success.  As  a  natural  conse- 
quence, in  cases  of  great  opportunities,  the  goal  of  ambi- 
tion is  not  always  easily  reached  and  the?  ambition  of  Nicol- 
let, to  become  wealthy  as  well  as  learned,  proved  disas- 
trous. Acting  as  the  financial  agent  of  trusting  friends,  he 
met  with  losses.  Admiring  associates  became  implacable 
enen?ies,  and  he  was  rejected  as  an  applicant  for  member- 
ship in  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  probably  on  the  views 
entertained  by  Dominiciue  Francois  Arago,  the  perpetual 
Secretary.  With  financial  ruin  and  disaster  as  his  unwel- 
come companions,  Nicollet  left  France  in  1831',  an  exile, 
never  to  return.  Landing  u})on  the  shores  of  America, 
with  only  the  learning  of  a  polished  scientist  and  astrono- 
mer, an  entire  stranger,  he  may  have  keenly  contemplated 
his  position,  but  ho  became  the  master  of  his  circumstances 
and  by  the  force  of  character  and  the  manliness  of  a  refined 
nature,  he  rose  above  the  difficulties  of  his  position  and 
imprinted  upon   American   geography  during  but  a  brief 


NICOLLKT'S   SCIKNTIFU:    EXPLOKATIONS.  157 

period,  a  nain«*  tluit  will  «'iKlurt»  tii«'  ravap's  of  tiiiw;  iu>t, 
liowovor,  without  cxposun»s  and  hardships  tliat  rosulted  in 
an  oarly  and  iintiraoly  doiuiso. 

Ho  visited  tlie  Allevrhany  run^e,  tli»;  (iult'  of  Mexico,  as- 
cended the  Ked,  Arkansas  and  Missouri  rivers,  for  purpos(>s 
of  astronomical  and  j^oojjraphic  observations,  and  elected  to 
construct  a  topojjraphical  map  of  the  sources  of  the  Mississ 
Ippi  and  North  Red  river,  from  act\ial  astronomical  observa- 
tions and  surveys  in  the  then  remote  Northwest.  Thisardu 
ous  labor  was  ])erformed  in  the  ti«*ld  durinpr  the  years  1H36-7. 
Retirin<?  to  Haltimf)r«'  for  rest  and  recuperation,  the  atten- 
tion of  the  government  of  the  United  States  was  called  to 
his  valuable  and  scientific  labors,  and  by  invitation,  he  ac- 
cepted the  patrona»^e  of  his  adopted  country,  in  the  final 
construction  of  his  map,  with  Lieut.  John  C.  Fremont  »s  a 
detailed  assistant.  He  continued  in  the  active  service  of  the 
government,  but  before  the  completion  of  his  eU^gantly 
written  report,  exhausted  by  exposures,  blighted  by  the 
failure  to  attain  his  early  and  most  honorable  ambition,  in 
the  year  1843,  he  died,  respected  by  every  American  who 
enjoyed  the  honor  of  his  acquaintaince. 

That  portion  of  Mr.  Nicollefs  labors  having  reference  to. 
and  especially  connected  with  the  .source  of  the  Mississippi, 
are  considered  at  length. 

He  was  at  Port  Snolling  when  he  decided  to  visit  the 
Itasca  Basin.  On  the  26th  of  July,  1830,  he  bivouacked  at 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  where  he  was  robbed  by  Sioux 
Indians  of  his  canoes  and  provisions.  Major  Taliaferro,  the 
Indian  agent  at  the  fort,  supplemented  his  losses  that  he 
might  continue  his  voyage.  His  party  consisted  of  himself, 
a  Frenchman  named  Desire  Fronchet  and  a  number  of  mixed 


ITlH  'rill'.    MISSISSIIMM    ItlVKIt    AN'I)    ITS    SOIJU(!K. 

bloods  and  Ojihvvay  Indiiuis.  On  IIk-  1".M|i  liis  llotilla  of 
«;arjo«'S  ladt-n  wiili  Ins  siippli<'s.  ai'rns.  atiuiiurnt'.ou,  bowK  and 
arrows,  '•sticks  \,o  nolttli  down  tin-  days  and  tin-  <diroiiomot<!r 
1o  nioasiin'titrn',"  was  last, iisc-cnditi','' the !  Mississippi  abovotiin 
falls.  Il<r  not(!d  particiilai'ly  tin;  cliaractiM' of  tin?  country 
to  tlic  uioutli  ol  iIkMJcow  Wi (!«.(•  river,  pass<!d  up  th«'  iatt^M* 
to  th«j  mouth  of  (iull  rivci-,  which  he  named  from  theOjih- 
way  word  •(iayashU;'"  tlmnce  up  its  channel  and  portaj^inj^ 
to  Pine  river,  h(!  reac,h(!d  the  Little  lioy,  and  thenco  by 
<;anoes  he  arrived  at  Le<!ch  lake,  where  he  remaitufd  for  a 
we<jk"s  obs(!rvation.  Franc-is  lirun«d,  was  his  '^wda,  whom 
he  doscrilxis  as  a  man  over  six  feet  in  hei«<'ht,  a  <^iatit  in 
strength  and  a  natuial  <^e(j;;i-apher.  At  licc'ch  lake  In;  m<!t 
much  displeasure  from  the  Indians  in  tin;  absonco  of  pres- 
ents to  j^ivo  them,  and  his  record  indicat<;s  that  he  consid- 
ered his  life  imperiled,  from  which  he  was  r<!scued  by  th(; 
kindly  oltices  of  liev.  W.'V.  lioutwell,  the  missionary,  thon 
residing  at  th;i,t  |)oint. 

He  pro<;eode(i  from  T-<(!Cch  lako  with  Messrs.  Fronchet  and 
hrunr't  and  a  ('hippcswa  Indian  named  Ke«^-wed-/is-sa^', '  who 
was  well  ac(|uaitd,<Ml  with  the  lt,as(!a  i-e«.fion,  calling  it  h\s 
hunting  j^ronnd.  The  i)arty  under  th<!;^uidance  of  K<!j;-w<jd- 
/is  sa^  C(iay  j^w(^d-o  say)  njaclmd  Kabekona  lake,  thence 
portaged  to  lia  Place  riv(!r,  or  S(;hoolcraft's  branch  of  the 
Mississippi,'^  a.scciudin^  the;  sam<;  t,o  Assawa  lako  and  a^ain 
[)orta^(jd  about  six  mihis  to  lta.s(;a  lake,  across  what  is  now 
kncnvn  as  th<!  "Bi^   liurnin*^."''  a  t(;rrit/)ry  t,o  tho  <!astward 

1.  (iitv-HWf<l-n-Miiy ,  !iii){U<'l»<'<l.  'rry  Iri'^-lri-witUi.  iTfiiiii-'inHly  ;;l  \  in  In  .Nli'ullil '-. 
II- purl,  ■Kfa-Wttd-zls-MiiK. 

2.  Yellow  Head  river. 

<■{.  A  Mtrlpof  t^Trllory,  I'liiiitiKttii'lnir  OK  till' riiirlli<-iiKi  hIiom- iiF  Muiy  liiUr  mid 
i:\t*;n(Htiii  iioct  hi'ii.stcrly  for  nciny  mill's,  narrow  .il  ll.h  ciitnniriK'i'ini'iil,  LIh'mi'i; 
wIdeiiliiK.  '• 


NM'OIJ.K'I'S    SCIIlN'ni'M;    KXI'LOJtATlONS.  I.'jU 

fn)m  TtuH<"a,  <l«nu(l«'(l  of  tirnbiM-  by  tin-.  Nic()ll<!t'K  iiistni- 
iiKmtK  w<5r«f  Ji  H<!Xl,ant,,  inwotm^U't',  Un'rnunimU^r,  c:lirf)notii<' 
l«'r,  f()rn|)Jiss,  urtiticiul  h<  rizoii,  lapo-liiMf,  c'U;.  Ii«'a<rhiii^ 
Itasca  lake,  h«f  aKcortaincid  Iho  nlovationH  of  Ih*;  siicfjw,*!  Ut 
l><!  oiiM  Inmdn'd  and  tw(irit,y  ftmi  ii\)(>v<i  ih<!  lake*  Viy  barorno- 
1  r-ical  (>l)s«Tvalion,  and  pro«'«M'd«!d  to  Sohoolci'aft  island 
wluiH!  Im-  catnpcd,  (lis<tov«'rin;^  thu  tla^-Ktall"  slationod  by 
S(!hooh;rart,  lour  ytsars  Ixd'on!,  njiori  which  h«J  <'r«;(^U!d  his 
artificial  horizon  pi-cparaton   to  locating  his  position. 

His  rccoi'd  of  ((bscrvaiioiis  shows  the,  f(jllowiii^: 

•'Itasca  lake,  Schoolcraft  island.  Kstiinattid  distance  by 
wator  from  the  (iulf  of  lVl<!xi(t(*,  2,H*.>0  niiUis.  Elevation 
above  the  sea,  l.Ti?.")  IViet.  North  Latitude,  47^  UJ'  ;».'>"; 
Lon;![itude,  w(!Ht  from  (ireonwi(;h,  ().'     L"." 

He  then  pro<;eeded  under  tVi<!  guidance;  of  K<t^  wed-zis  su^' 
to  explore  \\n'.  atlliients  of  Itasca  lake.  He  found  five 
cre(»ks  that  f!r)w<!d  into  it,  formed  by  innumerable  streaml«»LK 
oo/in^  from  tlie  clay  beds  at,  the  Ijasos  of  the  liills,  known 
by  the  name  "Ilaidfuirs  t/.cN  Tirrrs,"  (UcMf^hts  of  I^and. ) 
covered  by  thick  forests  foi-mitiitf  a  semi-circular  r(;j^ion  south 
of  Itasca,  all  of  th<!S(j  streamlets  havinj^  V>o;<'*^y  bottoms. 
Ho  says:  "The  wat«3rs  su[)plied  by  the  north  Hank  of  thes«? 
heij^htsof  land,  still  «)n  thie  south  side  of  Itasca  lake,  ;?ive 
orij^in  to  th(!  five  cn^eks  of  which  I  Iiave  spoken  ahov(?. 
Thes<!  are  tlic;  waters  which  I  c(jnside)-  to  Ix;  the  utmost 
sources  of  the  Mississi)>pi." 

He  visited  all  of  the  tiv<!(;re<jks  m(!ntioned,  oiw,  (mtyei'ln^  the 
east  bay  or  arm  of  the  lake,  the  four  others  into  th(!  west  arm. 
Amon^  th(i  latt«jr,  he  found,  one  remarkable  above  all  the 
others     its  courst;  longer  and   its  watei-s  more  abundant  — 

1      (Jiiy-tfWftI  <i-Hu.y  <ir TrytriK-1;<i-wiill\. 


160  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVEK    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

and  in  obedience  to  a  ofeographical  rule  "that  the  sources  of 
a  river  are  those  which  are  most  distant  from  the  mouth." 
made  the  following  declaration  in  his  report:  "This  creek 
is  truly  the  infant  Mississippi;  all  others  below,  its  feeders 
and  tributaries." 

August  29th,  1836,  he  explored  this  principal  creek.  It 
was  found  to  be  1.')  to  20  feet  wide  and  from  2  to  3  feet  in 
depth.  He  stemmed  its  brisk  current  until  fallen  trees 
prevented  the  passage  of  his  canoe,  passed  southward  on 
foot  at  the  brow  of  the  hills  keeping  in  sight  of  the  creek, 
descending  into  the  valley  (Nicollet  valley)  and  found  num 
erous  streams  oozing  from  the  bases  of  the  hills.  He  found 
that  the  waters  united  at  a  short  distance  from  the  hills 
whence  they  originated,  forming  a  small  lake  (Nicollet's 
Upper  lake)  from  which  he  saw  the  Mississippi  flowing 
with  a  breadth  of  a  foot  and  one  half  and  one  foot  in  depth. 
This  stream  uniting  with  others,  forms  another,  minor 
lake  from  which  issues  Nicollet's  memorable  stream  the 
"Cradled  Her  ules,"  forming  sand  bars,  transporting  the 
branches  of  trees,  widening,  of  higher  temperature,  sub- 
siding into  another  small  lake,  and  trying  its  consequence 
upon  an  additional  mile  or  two,  it  empties  into  Itasca  lake, 
the  principal  reservoir  of  all  the  sources  to  which  it  owes 
all  its  subsequent  majesty. 

The  above,  while  not  quotations,  are  almost  the  identical 
words  used  by  Mr.  Nicollet.  He  considered  the  east  branch 
of  the  main  river  (Yellow  Head)  quite  as  long  as  the  main 
stream,  but  inasmuch  as  its  waters  were  less  abundant,  it 
could  not  be  considered  the  main  stream.  He  modestly 
awards  to  Mr.  Schoolcraft  the  honors  of  a  first  discovery  ; 
claiming  only  for  himself  a  completion  of  the  work  neces- 


^ 


^ 


EXTRACT  FROM  TOPOGRAPHICAL  MAP  OF  THE  SOURCES  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  AND 
NORTH  RED  RIVER,  FROM  ACTUAL  ASTRONOMICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  SURVEYS 
IN   1836  AND   1837,   T»Y  J.   N.   NICOLLET. 


NICOLLET'S    SCIENTIFIC    EXPLORATIONS.  161 

sary  for  a  more  perfect  knowled«;e  of  tlie  sourre.  aided  by 
the  use  of  astronomical  iastruments  along  the  entire  course 
of  the  river. 

He  regarded  Beltrami's  claims  as  deserving  a  critical 
review  and  a  severe  refutation.      Ho  found   the  outlet  of 
Itasca  lake  to  be  sixteen  feet  wide  fourteen  inches  deep, 
current  swift,  water  transparent,  and,  after  having  devoted 
three  days  and  portions  of  the  nights  in  explorations  and 
astronomical  observations,  with  his  canoes  and  guides,  he 
passed  down  the  main  river  to  Cass  lake,   and  thence  re- 
turned to  Leech  lake,  where  he  remained  some  time  with 
Rev.  W.  T  Boutwell,  as  a  guest.     He  then  passed  down  the 
Leech  lake   river  and  the  Mississippi,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  Ojibway  Indians,  to  Fort  Snelling,     Thus  ended 
the  explorations  of  Nicollet  at  the  source.     From  Gen.  H. 
H.  Sibley  and  Rev.  W.  T.  Boutwell,  who  were  Mr.  Nicollet's 
personal  friends,    much  has  been  learned  of   his  modest 
virtues  as  a  man,  scientist  and  scholar.     He  rose  above  his 
misfortunes  and  inscribed  upon  the  pages  of  the  geography 
of  his  adopted  country,   an  enviable  reputation  and  name, 
which  will  forever  be  known  and  quoted  in   the  physical 
geography  of  the  comrr  on  wealth  of  Minnesota,  constructed 
from  the  territory  with  which  he  so  closely  allied  his  name. 
Of  his  personal  peculiarities  but  little  need  be  said.      His 
patience  and  perseverance  overcame  almost  insurmountable 
obstacles.     Of  slight  physical  demeanor,  he  could  not  with- 
stand the  ravages  of  exposure,  and  his  early  demise  fol- 
lowed; a  resultant  expectation  '   *  himself  as  well  as  by  the 
friends  who  often  admonished  him  without  success. 
He  contemplated  the  publication  of  extensive  observations 

-11 


162  THK    MISSISSIIMM    HIVKK    AM)    ITS    SOURCK. 

concei-ning  the  valloy  <>f  the  Mississippi,  but  life  was  too 
short  to  permit  of  the  accomplishment  of  his  designs.  A 
l)ortion  of  his  ma[)  and  a  copy,  of  the  only  portrait  of  Mr. 
Nicollet  to  be  found  in  America,  taken  from  a  painting  upon 
ivory,  are  r<'produced. 

Many  would  award  to  Mi-.  Nicollet  the  honor  of  a  first  dis- 
covery of  the  true  source,  but  he  can  hardly  be  credited 
with  this  distinction  in  justice  to  the  memory  of  tho.se  who 
preceded  him  at  the  Itasca  Basin.  That  he  pointed  out  and 
accurately  described  the  principal  affluent  of  Itasca  lake, 
there  is  no  doubt  whatever,  nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that 
he  visited  Elk  lake  and  laid  the  same  down  on  his  map  as  a 
bay  to  Itasca,  connected  by  a  wide,  short  and  sluggish 
channel,  which  he  denominated  an  affluent.  The  waters  of 
Itasca  lake  have,  since  Nicollet's  visit,  receded  to  some 
extent  and  its  surface  is  accordingly  lowered,  separating 
itself  from  Elk  lake,  leaving  it  as  waters  gathered  at  one 
side.  A  particular  inspection  of  that  portion  of  Nicollet's 
map  will  admit  of  no  other  view. 

The  discovery  of  three  small  lakes  by  Mr.  Nicollet,  up 
the  channel  of  the  main  tributary,  so  graphically  de 
scribed  by  him.  and  the  manner  in  which  he  located  them 
upon  his  map,  without  careful  courses  and  measurements, 
has  misled  observers  of  the  locality  as  to  his  three  lakes. 
Mr.  Hopew^ell  Clarke  was  led  to  presume  that  his  third 
lake  was  a  small  body  of  water  (now  a  dry  bed)  to  the 
eastward  of  his  middle  lake,  while  the  casual  examina- 
tion of  1888,1  in  the  confusion  of  location  in  which  Mr. 
Nicollet  placed  these  three  bodies  of  water,  indicated 
that  the  third  lake  up  the  tributary,  did  not  exist,   and 


1  See  subdivision  Twenty-sixth. 


NICOLLET'S  SCIENTIFIC    EXPLOIiATlONS.  163 

a  belief  accordingly  was  publicly  expressed.  No  one 
question  htis  been  more  puzzling  thin  llie  id  Mitity  of 
Nicollet's  third  lake.'  and  after  an  exhaustive}  consider- 
ation of  the  (luestion.  it  is  believed  that  the  underground 
channel,  now  distinctly  d<ifined  between  Nicollet's  upper 
and  middle  lakes  possibly  might  have  been,  in  1H3G.  a 
surface  channel,  and.  accordingly,  a  declai'cd  determina- 
tion u])on  the  question  of  the  three  lakes  has  been  made 
Avith  much  doubt ;-  not.  however,  without  considerable 
study  and  thought  upon  a  mooted  question,  insufficiently 
and  hastily  considered  by  Mr.  Clarke  in  1880,  and  the 
parties  to   the  casual  examination  of   I'-iBB. 


1  ThiTf  is  ii  |)n)l)abillty  tliiit  Mr.  Nicollot  In  piissltiji  up  tlio  vaUcy  Jiiul  atTliUMit 
discovered  by  liim,  bcoiiiiio  bewildered  in  tlio  t lilekels  of  liie  iDealily.  which  pre- 
cluded the  possil)illty  of  bi-i  I'orreclly  dellneat  iiij:  the  lopoirrapiiy  of  the  spot.  It. 
is  absolutely  impossible  to  certainly  and  accurately  trace  his  steps  after  lie  left  his 
canoe  and  passed  aloii'4  the  brow  of  the  bills,  be  iii^  careful  to  remain  within  sl^ht  of 
the  stream,  that  he  mi;iht  not  become  lost.  It  is  possible,  since  it  Iscertain  that  he 
passed  up  tin;  valley  on  the  east  bank  of  the  stream,  that  he  only  saw  two  lakes, 
for  the  peculiarities  of  the  txjp'juraphy  there.  In  uassiuii  up  the  valley  on  the  brow 
of  tln!  hills  on  the  etmt  side  of  the  stream,  lirin^rs  tht'  middle  lake-  in  sitrht  first,  and 
continuinj;,  the  lower  lal<e  conii's  in  si^'ht.  thence  passiiij.'  up  t  lie  streatii  the  middle 
lake  fl(/(n»i  cniiics  tothe  ficw.  Query:  May  It  not  have  been  that  .siciillet,  passinir 
the  middle  lake  /irxf.  reacliin^  the  lower  lake  serimd.  and  then  a^rain  a'riN  in;?  at  the 
middle  lake,  may  have  made  the  mistake  of  (lcscril)lnK the  two  lakes  axlhrce,  liav- 
ing  arrived  in  sljjht  of  the  middle  hiku  a necoiid  time/  Such  a  view  is  forced  upon 
the  reader  of  his  report,  in  the  lifiht  of  a  survey  in  detail,  of  Nicollcfs  lower  and 
middle  lakes;  especially  so,  since  it  is  known  that  the  waters,  in  abundance, 
ooze  from  the  base  of  the  hill  Immediately  above  Xi(!ollet's  midd'.e  lake,  and  unit- 
inj;  form  astreani  of  continued  surface  llowa^e  to  Itasca  lake.  It  is  very  doubtful 
if  Nicollet  ever  saw  the  pool  of  water  which  has  been  ileslirniite.l  as  his  third  lake, 
for  purposes  of  correct  geojiraphical  delinealiou.  It,  liowever,  i*  the  only  pathway 
out  of  a  dileDimu  at  this  time. 

St.  !*.\ui,.  Minn..  Dec.  18th,  1880. 

2  After  due  deliberation, and  with  a  copy  of  Nicollet's  original  map  of  the  sources 
of  the  Mississippi  and  North  Red  river  before  us.  we  conclude  that  the  three  lakes 
noted  by  Nicollet  on  the  principal  alHuent  to  Lake  Itasca,  as  shown  by  his  said 
niap.  are  the  two  lakes  in  the  southeast  (luarter  of  section  'Zl,  and  the  small  lake  in 
the  southwest  corner  of  section  22,  township  143,  range  Itti. 

Signed:  HOPEWELL  CLARKE, 

J.  v.  BROWER. 


164  THE   MISSISSIPFM   UIVEH   AND   ITS   SOUliCE. 

In  honor  of  Mr.  Nicollet,  have  been  named  the  following: 

The  principal  affluent  to  Itasca  lake,  discovered  by  Nic- 
let  in  1836— Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi  ; 

The  first  lake  up  this    stream — Nicollet's    lower    lake  ; 

The  second   lake — Nicollet's   middle   lake  ; 

The  third   lake — Nicollet's  upper  lake  ; 

The  valley   there  situated — Nicollet's  valley  ; 

The  principal   springs— Nicollet's  springs; 

The  height  of  land — Nicollet  heights. 

There  was  erected  at  the  summit  of  Morrison  hill  by 
the  I.  B.  T.  &  Co.  expedition  of  1886.  a  wooden  slab, 
engraved  to  the  memory  of  Nicollet,  as  the  discoverer 
of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  in  1836.  This  slab,  nailed  to 
a  cedar  post,  is  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation,  and  upon 
its  margin  has  been  written  many  names  of  visitors  to  that 
most  sightly  spot. 

But  little  more  need  be  said  of  Nicollet's  visit  and  dis- 
coveries. His  conclusion  that  the  waters  supplied  by  the 
north  &a,nkoi  the  Hauteurs  des  Terre,  south  of  Itasca  lake, 
gives  origin  to  the  creeks  found  there,  and  that  those 
waters  constitute  the  utmost  sources  of  the  Mississippi, 
is  eminently  a  correct  one,  and  regret  may  well  be  expressed 
that  he  failed  to  reach  and  make  known  the  location  of  the 
large  body  of  water  then  and  now  existing  near  the  summit 
of  that  north  Hank,  which  supplies  that  never  ending  per- 
ennial flow  found  in  Nicollet's  "Infant  Mississippi."  Had 
he  done  so,  no  uncertainty  as  to  the  true  origin  of  the 
Mississippi  river  would  have  been   possible. 

He  did  not  know  of  or  visit  numerous  lakes  and  streams 
immediately  above  and  beyond  the  waters  which  he  found 
oozing    from    the  base  of    the    hills,    nor  is  it    believed 


NICOLLET'S    SCIEXTIKIC    EXI'LOUATIOXS.  165 

that  ho  saw  or  knew  of  Howard  and  Dom  a  ray  crooks.'  aiul 
likewise  ho  failed  to  note  the  existence  of  th.'  Mississippi 
springs. 

lTl.,.s,.two,„.r,.„..iul.T..,.k.s  (l„M,.i  u„p,.ar...,   M.-ollrf,  ,|,u,.,.  ,.m.I  i...  ri-f.T.-...-.. 
to  thfrii  isiiiudflu  hlH  report.  "nr.  m.. 


Srii-DIVlSlOX    F(KI{TKKXTIl. 


THE  "DOLLY  VARDEN  •  EXPEDITKJX  TO  ITASfA 
LAKE;  .IL'LIl'S  CHAMBERS  VISITS  ELK  LAKE 
AND  DECLARES  IT  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  MIS- 
SISSIPPI ;  OBSKRVATIONS  AND  EXPLORATIONS 
BY  A  REPRESENTATIVE  OF  THE  NEW  YORK 
HERALD. 


Representing'  the  New  York  Ilfrnlil,  Mr.  .Julius  Chaml>ers. 
in  1^^72.  made  a  canoe  voyajre  to  Itasca  lake,  thence  down 
the  Mississip])!  river  to  the  Gull"  of  Mexico.  His  published 
writinj^s  constitute  contributions  to  the  columns  of  the 
paper  lie  represented. 

From  an  examination  of  these  wi'itin«;s.  it  ajjpears  that  he 
contemplated  a  canoe  voyajfo  from  th(»  very  si)rint?s  near 
Itasca  lake  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  the  Gulf.  He 
reached  Oak  Lake  Station,  four  miles  west  of  Detroit,  on  the 
Northern  Pacitic  railway.  May  iilst,  1^72.  with  his  canoe 
which  ho  had  christened  "Dolly  Varden."  Overland,  he 
reached  White  Earth,  and  by  a  series  of  porta|?es  reached 
Itasca  lake,  via  Wild  Rice  river  and  hikes,  and  encamped 
upon  Schoolcraft  island,  whore  he  took  observations  for  his 
position  with  "ships  instruments"  and  chronometer  with  the 
following  result: 

Latitude  47^  12' M". 

Longitude,  95^  2' 1". 


^Ji(/cu4  (/lu>ccoO^^ 


••i»)i,i,v  vardkn'  i:.\im:i)i tidn,  I«i7 

SatiHtiod  that  all  foniu'i'  <»x])l'*rors  liad  stopped  short  of 
the  true  8ourc;«\  ho  determined  to  tiuike  a  thoroujfh  oxamiiia- 
tlon  of  th«'  vicinity.  L«»a\'inAf  Schooli  ra*"t  islaiul.  in  his 
cano«'  he  coasted  the  east  arm.  noted  snrroundinj^s  and 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  creeic  at  the  south  end  of  the  arm. 
which  he  followe,d  about  fifteen  hundred  feet  to  a  hill  on  one 
side  and  a  meadow  on  the  other,  concluding  that  the  str<»am 
could  not  be  perennial  in  c-haracter.  and  that  there  were  no 
lalces  up  the  stream.  Keturninj;  -  the  island,  he  continued 
a  search  for  inlets,  and  at  a  southwestern  anjjle  of  th<i  west 
arm,  a  small  inlet  was  s6en  about  four  feet  in  de))th.  and 
scarcely  more  in  width,  which  the  channel  had  cut  throu<rh 
the  thick  turf.  I*ushin;?  his  canoe  throuprh  this  channel, 
reachin*?  shallow  water,  dra^fjrin^'  his  cano<!  over  sticks  and 
lo^s,  at  the  end  of  "about  one-third  of  a  mile."  ho  reached 
a  small  round  lake.  Crossin'C  to  the  opposit*'  shore,  he 
found  a  floating  bo<;  with  no  creeks  entering  the  lake.  An 
Indian  had  told  him  that  the  Red  river  and  the  Mississippi 
took  their  rise  from  the  same  bog ^  whicli  1h>  doubtless  be- 
lieved to  be  the  bog  he  had  then  reached.  He  says.  "Hero 
then  is  fhr  source  of  the  longest  river  in  the  world,  in  a  small 
lake,  scarcely  one  quarter  of  a  mile  in  diameter,  in  the 
midst  of  a  floating  bog.  the  fountains  which  give  birth  to 
the  Missis.sippi.  The  greatest  depth  of  the  lake  was  found 
to  be  only  twelve  feet." 

Naming  the  lake  "Dolly  Varden,"  after  his  canoe,  he 
returned  to  Itasca  lake  and  continued  a  .search  for  other 


1  Thelwir  referred  to  is  not  within  tlieltascii  Uasiii.  It  is  at  tlu'  Iicad  of  Division 
cre»'l{  wliioli  coiiics  ir>  from  the  west,  two  niili-s  downtlie  Mississippi,  nortli  of 
Itiisea  liiiif.  Tills  c'rtcl<  takes  its  rise  at  the  suraiuit  of  the  llauieiirs  des  Terre, 
west  of  llie  great  basin  of  the  Mississippi.  Waters  at  that  suiiiiiiit  also  flow  we>t- 
ward  to  tin:  North  Ued  river. 


168 


THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 


inlets,  finding  but  one  small  ouo  on  the  west  shore.  Record- 
ing the  declaration  that  there  was  but  one  perennial  stream 
entering  Itasca  lake — that  which  connected  it  with  "Dolly 
Varden"  lake — he  reached  his  camp  at  sunset,  June  9th, 
187:2,  and  the  next  day  proceeded  upon  his  successful  canoe 
voyage  down  the  Mississippi.     It  is  certain  that  Mr.  Cham- 


SKETCH  MAP 

OF  THE 

ITASCA  LAliE  REGION 


J\xliusi    Cli.'unbej': 

1372. 


"UOLLY    VARDEN"    EXPEDITION.  169 

bers  visited  Elk  lake,  findin^j:  his  way  to  that  point  up.  the 
Chambers  creek ^  of  the  present  time.  The  deepest  sound- 
ing of  but  twelve  feet,  the  tamarac  swamp  where  stands 
Morrison  hill,  and  other  apparent  errors  upon  Mr.  Cham- 
ber's map,  are  explained  by  the  haste  with  which  lie  con- 
ducted his  explorations. 

Mr.  Chambers'  absence  in  Europe  during  the  better  part 
of  1889.  and  a  disinclination  to  respond  to  a  request  for  man- 
uscript discribing  his  visit  to  Itasci;.  ])laces  the  information 
derived,  upon  the  basis  of  an  examination  of  his  letters  to 
the  Herald  written  in  1872.  - 

When  Mr.  Chambers  concluded  that  there  were  no  lakes 
to  the  southward  from  the  end  of  the  east  arm.  he  was  then 
within  seven  hundred  feet  of  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
lakes'*  within  the  basin,  concealed  from  his  view  by  a  low 
range  of  hills.  As  to  the  floating  bog  discovered  by  him.  it 
is  probable  heavy  rain  storms,  then  prevalent,  were  decept- 
ive to  some  extent,  in  connection  with  an  examination  of  but 
one  day's  duration. 

It  would  api)ear  that  Mr.  Chambers  either  did  not  visit 
Nicollet's  Infant  river,  or  visiting  it,  failed  to  make  a  care- 
ful examination  into  the  question  of  its  importance.  Upon 
reaching  Elk  lake  he  found  it  much  larger  than  he  at  first 
supposed.  M.  Nicollet  saw  the  same  stream  and  lake,  and 
gave  it  no  importance,  whilst,  vice  versa,  Mr.  Chambers 
failed   to   award   due   recognition    to    Nicollet's   discovery. 


1  The  ereoU  connecting  Elk  lake  with  Ita^oii  hike,  one  tlioiisati(i,  one  hundred 
feet  in  lonirth,  has  been  recently  clianj,'ed  in  name  from  Elk  creek  to  Chambers 
creek,  in  recofrultion  of  Its  discoverer.  This  change  still  leaves  an  Elk  creek  flow- 
inji  into  the  southwest  angle  of  Elk  lake. 

2  These  letters  were  written  t-o  the  Herald  durinif  his  sojourn  at  Itasca  lake. 
:j  Mary  lake. 


170  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK    AXl)    ITS   SOUliCK, 

Such  was  the  difference  in  llie  observation  of  the  two  exjjlor- 
ers,  that,  althoui^h  Cliambers  creek  was  sluggish  and  short  in 
1836,  11  1  lad  become  somewha*  longer  in  187:^,  by  the  invincible 
process  of  nature,  whereby  the  surface  of  the  water  in  Itasca 
lake  receded  from  its  former  and  higher  ele\  ation. 


Si:B-T)IVIsrO\  FFFTEEXTTf. 


OFFICIAL  ACTION  BY  THE  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE 
LAND  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES: 
HOW  ELK  LAKE  WAS  FINALLY  NAMED;  OFFI- 
CIAL PLATS  CERTIFIED  AND  APPROVED. 


As  Surveyor  General  for 
the  District  of  Minnesota, 
representing  in  an  official 
capacity  the  United  States 
government,  James  H.Baker 
assumed  the  duties  of  his 
office  May  1st,  lb75,  and  by 
limitation,  retired  in  Apj-il, 
1879. 

The  Surveyor  General, 
among  other  official  require- 
ments, is  especially  em- 
powered by  statute,  and  the 
regulations  of  the  Interior 
Department  of  the  United 
States  government,  to  con- 
GEN.  J.  H.  BAKER.  tract   for    the  official     sur- 

veys of  the   public  domain  within  the  limits  of  his  district. 
During  General   Baker's  term  of   office,   Le  directed  the 


172  THE    MISSISS'.IM'I    KIVEii   AND   ITS   SOUHCE. 

survey  of  Townships  14l\  141}  and  144.  Uan^e  36,  west  of  the 
5th  principal  meridian,  placing  the  public  contract  there- 
for to  the  credit  of  Edwin  S.  Hall,  in  187.').  No  special  or 
particular  instructions  were  jriven  relative  to  the  meander 
of  Itasca  lake  or  the  examination  of  the  Itasca  Basin, 
situated  in  the  townships  named,  further  or  to  any  greater 
extent  than  were  the  requirements  concerning  the  public  sur- 
vey of  any  other  Government  townships.  Upon  the  comple- 
tion of  the  survey'  by  Mr.  Hall,  the  official  plats  were  drawn 
at 'General  Baker's  office  at  St.  Paul.  Minn.,  and  at  that  time, 
upon  enquiry  as  to  the  names  of  lakes  within  each  township, 
there  were  placed  upon  the  official  plat  the  names  "Lake 
Itasca"  and  "Elk  lake,"'  pursuant  to  a  requirement  con- 
tained in  the  general  instructions  of  the  Interior  Depart- 
ment, which  provides  that  the  names  of  lakes  upon  the 
official  plats,  should  be  the  same  as  they  had  been  desig- 
nated previous  to  the  public  survey. 

The  original  Elk  lake,  having  been  changed  in  name  by 
Mr.  Schoolcraft  to  "Itasca."  which  action  had  received  due 
recognition  by  the  authorities  of  the  government.  Gen. 
Baker  judiciously  and  very  properly  adopted  the  tradition- 
ary name  of  "  Elk  lake  "  for  the  body  of  water  gathered  at 
the  side  of  the  west  arm  of  Itasca  lake,  and  under  his 
instructions  the  name  was  extended  upon  the  official  plats, 
and  certified  by  him  February  3rd,  1876.  He  then  submitted 
these  plats  to  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  office 
at  Washington,  who  duly  approved  the  same.  Of  the  three 
plats  for  each  of  said  Townships,  one  is  on  tile  at  the 
General  Land  Office,  one  at  the  Surveyor  General's  Office 
at  St.  Paul.  Minn.,  and  one  at  the  local  Land  Office,  then 
at  Detroit,  Minn,,  now  at  Crookston.     Thus  before  the  end 


THE   OFFICIAL  PLAT,  (REDUCED  SCALE)   1876. 


OFFICIAL   ACTION    OP  THE   AUTHOKITIKS.  173 

of  the  first  half  of  the  year  1876,  the  official  ro(iuirements 
of  the  public  survey  of  the  Itasca  Basin  had  been  com 
pleted.  Then  followed  the  selection  of  swamp  lands  in 
favor  of  the  State  of  Minnesota,  pursuant  to  Con*?ressional 
enactment,  the  withdrawal  of  odd  sections  subject  to  the 
grant  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  forty 
miles  north  of  its  definite  location,  which  extended  to  within 
a  short  distance  from  Schoolcraft  Island,  leaving  the 
balance  open  to  settlement,  excepting  sections  16  and  36, 
reserved  for  purposes  of  public  instruction.  For  more  than 
fifteen  years,  the  local  land  oftice  has  held  the  public  lands 
in  those  townships  subject  to  disposal  upon  the  applica- 
tion of  qualified  preemptors,  homestead  claimants  and 
beneficiaries  under  the  Indian  treaties  and  other  statutory 
privileges  permitting  the  selection  of  public  lands.  Thus, 
the  casual  observer  may  readily  understand  the  official 
recognition  of  EIk  lake  by  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  its  definite  location  and  meander  and  in  1875,  the 
erection  of  official  corners  upon  its  shores  in  the  same  year, 
which  are  still  intact  and  plainly  visible,  and  the  approval 
of  the  official  plats  in  1876.  Thus  ended  the  official  acts  of 
the  Government  Survey. 

General  Baker  in  another  capacity  was  connected  with 
the  question  as  to  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi  in  1887, 
which  will  be  adverted  to  in  the  consideration  of  action 
taken  by  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  in  another  por- 
tion of  this  report. 


S!  I',-I)IV1SI0X   SIXTKKXTII. 


EDWIN  S.  HALLS  GOVKRNMEXT  SURVEY  ;  HIS 
PARTY  REACH  THE  ITASCA  HASIN;  MEANDER 
OF  ELK  .AND  ITASCA  LAKES;  OFFICIAL  COR- 
NERS AND  LAND  MARKS. 


Mr.  Edwin  S.  Hall,  who  uKid«'  tlio  official  survey,  for  the 

government  of  the 
United  States,  for 
Townships  142,143  and 
144,  Range  HO,  West  of 
the  Fifth  I'rincipal 
Meridian,  in  the  yeai' 
187.'),  within  \v  h  i  eh 
Townships  the  Ita.sca 
Basin  is  situated,  was 
award(»d  a  public  con 
tract,  by  the  authori- 
ties of  the  government, 
to  officially  survey  the 
Townships  hereinbe- 
fore described.  Actual 
service  in  the  field  as  a 
surveyor  of  public 
3IB.  Ei>wiN  s.  HALL.  lauds,    endowcd    with 


EDWIX  S.  HALLS  COVKUNMKXT  SUUVKY.       17.') 

fjualities  of  jiid^iiuMit  and  (l«'cisk>u.  madcth*'  appoiutiiuMil  of 
Mr.  Hull  a  good  one  He  dispatched  his  su])j)li«'s  and  camping 
outfit  overhind  by  ox  teams  in  ih(»  month  of  Sept<^mber. 
By  stage,  Mr.  Hall  joined  his  teams  near  liiaincid.  on  tlio 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  Crossing  the  Mississii)])!  river, 
the  Hall  party  proceeded  with  their  ox  teams  on  the  Leech 
lake  road  to  Fourteen  Mile  Creelc.  thence  on  thf  White 
Earth  road  to  Sh«?ll  Prairie,  where  was  found  a  standard 
parallel  line— the  base  of  their  operations. 

Di.scovering  an  intermediate  deficiency  of  six  miles  in 
established  lines,  Mr.  Hall  returned  to  St.  Paul  and  had 
inserted  in  his  contract,  power  to  establish  the  townsliip 
line  from  th<!  southeast  corner  of  Township  1  M.  Range  'iHu 
to  the  southeast  corner  of  Township  142.  Range  ;!t).  where 
his  work  commenced.  The  task  of  pressing  his  way  north- 
ward with  his  teams  through  a  dens(»  '  ilderness.  was  no 
light  one.  He  maintained  his  northerly  direction  until  he 
Reached  Stony  Ridge  and  the  Little  Man  Trap  lake,  where 
he  commenced  the  construction  of  a  rough  road  in  a  north- 
westerly direction  towards  the  centre  of  the  tier  of  town- 
ships ho  surveyed.  The  direction  taken  brought  him 
immediately  to  the  southern  rim  of  the  Itasca  Basin,  four 
miles  south  of  tht  south  end  of  the  west  arm  of  Itasca. 
Passing  around  the  interesting  lakes  at  the  summit  of  the 
hills,  to  which  his  party  are  the  first  known  white  visitors, 
he  encamped  on  the  north  shore  of  the  most  southerly  lake, 
opposite  the  island  \  and  continued  the  establishment  of 
the  township  and  section  lines  and  sectional  and  meander 
corners.  Continuing  the  construction  of  his  road  to  the 
northward,  he  again  encamped  with  his  party  on  the  north 


1.    Brower  Island  In  Ilerniiado  do  Soto  lake. 


17t5  TMK    MrSSISSFIM-r    lUVKK    AM)    ITS   SOUUCK 

side  of    •  Spring  brook  "  which  h«>  nainoU  by  a  scribing,  still 

visible  iu»ar  thf   contro  of  section  27,  on   the   l)ank  of  the 

creek.      The   t^ndeavoi-    to    construct   a   road   throu«rh   the 

swami)s  oi  Nicollet  valley  failed,  but  the  sijfns  of  his  chop- 

pin^s  are  still  visible  there.   He  continued  his  road  due  north 

and  ent^amped  on  Morri.son  hill  fr<  m  which  point  the  survey 

was  continued  by  supplying;  his  force  in  the  tield  throuf?hth«» 

instrumentality  of  ••  packers."     Mr.    Hall's  several    camps 

are  still  plainly  to  be  seen,  and  his  road,  then   made,  has 

become  <  iic  of  the  lii<;hways  of  the  locality.     The   rule  of 

the  governmeui  which  obtains   in  locating  its  official  lines 

by  sections  rey^ardless  of  and  i^norin^  interior  topoj^raphy. 

paying  a  niggardly  stipend  for   valuable,  and  what  ought, 

by  all  means,  to  be  a  correct  work,  placed  Mr.  Hall  in  the 

same  category  of  all  other  government  surveyors  of  the 

public  domain,  and  he  conscientiously  and  honestly  made  a 

regulation  gov«n-nment  survey  much  better  than  the  average 

of  his  time,  and  after  the  lapse  of  fourteen  years,  all  the 

official  corners  and  lines  are  plainly  visible  and  easily  found. 

These   several   lines  and  official  corners,  recognized  as  of 

binding  and  official  force,  have  been   found   to  be   a  very 

convenient  recpiisite  in  the  location  of  the  Itasca  State  Park. 

At  Mr.  Hails   first  camp  within  the  basin  on   the  north 

shore  of  Hernando  de  Soto  lake,  was  found  the   following 

scribing:.— 

••Ed  Halls  Lost  Explorers. 

Hazleton. 


Ed.  Hall's  Camp, 
October  9th,    1875." 

Had  Mr.  Hall  received  instructions  fiom  liis  superiors  at 


EDWIN    S.    HALL'S   (JOVKKNMKNT   SUKVKY.  177 

Washington  to  inuki'  ut  tlu'  t'XjM'ns«»  ot  lln'  ^overninont  an 
accurate  hydro^raphic  and  topographic  survey  of  the 
source  of  the  Mississiipj)i.  personal  enterprise  for  jfeo- 
graphic  facts  would  not  now  be  necessary. 

In  the  days  of  Hails  survey,  the  overpowering  influence 
was  a  i^rand  rush  for  the  possession  of  pine  timber  for 
speculative  purposes,  and  that  intiuence,  widespread  and 
powerful,  invisibly  controlled  the  surveys  of  the  public 
domain  in  the  Northwest,  and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  Itasca  townships  contain  ma/Lrniticent  tracts  of  pine 
timber,  not  an  acre  of  value  remains  the  property  of  the 
United  States,  all  that  portion  of  value,  not  included  in  the 
odd  section  grant  to  the  Northern  Facitic  Railroad  or  the 
swamp  grants  of  Minnesota,  having  passed  to  private 
ownership  for  speculative  purposes.  In  the  days  of  187.' 
and  subsequently,  that  })ortion  of  Minnesota  was  overrun 
with  timber  inspectors,  commonly  called  'Cruisers,"  whose 
sole  and  only  object  was  the  selection  and  acquirement  of 
all  the  valuable  timber  lands  of  the  region  they  inspected, 
for  themselves  and  their  employers,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  at  the  end  of  the  winter  of  1880.  every  tract  of  timber 
within  the  Itasca  Basin  had  been  examined  by  at  least  half 
a  dozen  ••  Cruisers,"  oblivious  to  every  fact  connected  with 
the  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

Many  land  marks  and  traces  remain  of  the  Hall  survey, 
old  rafts  and  paddles  at  the  crossing  of  lakes;  the  highway 
now  so  useful,  subsequently  more  extensively  opened  by 
Henry  Bohall  and  Peter  C.  Sweeney,  from  which  it  has 
often  been  erroneously  designated  as  the  "Sweeney  Road." 

It  appears  beyond  doubt  that  when  Mr.  Hall   descended 

-12 


178  THK    MISSISSIIM'I    mVKU    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

into  thf  valleys  of  th«»  basin  with  his  purty.  he  hud  but  th«» 
one  purpose  in  his  mind  —that  of  tlio  ordinary  government 
survey.  -  comph'ted  the  same  as  fast  us  possible,  and  returned 
from  the  wilderness  to  receive  but  a  stipend  for  an  impoi" 
tant  public  survey  of  an  liistorical  locality,  bedded  in  the 
depth  of  the  wilderness,  which  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years  was  unknown  to  the  governments  which  exercised  the 
right  of  owuersliip  by  discovery,  purchase  or  cession. 


SUIM)rVISlOX   SFVKXTEKXTH. 


THE  ROH  ROY  EXPEDITION;  A.  H.  SIEGFRIED  AND 
COMPANIONS  REACH  ITASCA  LAKE;  THEY  VISIT 
ELK  LAKE  AND  I^HOTOGRAPH  IT;  THE  PARTY 
DESIGNATE  ELK  LAKE  THE  HIGHEST  TRIBU- 
TARY TO  THE  MISSISSIPPI;  WILLIAM  MORRISON 
DESIGNATED  AS  THE  FIRST  SEEN  OF  WHITE 
MEN  AT  THE  SOURCE. 


The  first  of  July.  1*^79.  Mr.  A.  H.  Siegfriod.  r«>pr('Sontiug  the 
Louisville  Courier- Journal, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  J.  M. 
Barnes,  now  of  Georgetown, 
and  Mr.  Lucien  Wulsin  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  projected 
a  visit  to  the  Itasca  Basin. 
Leaving  the  Northern  Paci- 
fic railroad  at  Detroit,  Minn., 
the  party  proceeded  t  o 
White  Earth,  and  made  pre- 
parations for  their  inland 
journey  to  Itasca,  and  from 
thence  down  the  Mississip- 
pi riv^er  in  canoes.  Three 
Rob  Roy  canoes,  a  store  of 


MK.    A.    11.   SIEOFUIED. 


IbO  THE    MISSlSSIl'Pl    UIVEK   AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

provisions  and  camping  material,  a  guide,  interpreter,  aiid 
Indian  "packers"'  were  provided  for  the  journey.  With 
varying  hardships,  the  party  reached  the  banks  of  the  river 
several  miles  below  Itasca  lake,  accomplishing  portages 
across  the  Hauteurs  des  Terre  from  Rice  lake.  Dismissing 
their  guide  and  * -packers,"  the  party  proceeded  alone  up 
the  river,  discovering  that  they  had  reached  the  stream  far 
below  the  point  promised  by  their  guide,  necessitating  a 
tedious  amount  of  labor  in  propelling  their  canoes  up  the 
rapids  and  over  fallen  trees  and  debris,  through  rushes  and 
across  shallows,  and  it  was  not  until  after  ten  days  of  hard- 
ships tkat  thoy  reached  Itasca  lake,  and  camped  on  School- 
craft island.  July  12th.  They  particularly  examined  the 
lake,  and  searching  for  its  principal  affluent,  passed  up  the 
stream  laid  down  by  Nicollet,  as  the  Infant  Mississippi,  until 
their  progress  was  impeded  by  fallen  trees.  Leaving  their 
canoes,  and  with  aneroid  barometer  and  photographic  para- 
phernalia, they  crossed  the  hills  to  the  shores  of  Elk  lak<' 
which  they  thought  to  be  the  "Highest  tributary  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi." Taking  a  photographic  view- of  the  place,  they 
returned  to  their  canoes,  sustaining  the  loss  of  their  barom- 
eter. Mr.  Siegfried  estimated  the  distance  between  Itasca 
and  Elk  lakes  to  be  about  one-half  of  a  mile,  requiring  his 
party  to  make  a  tiresome  walk  in  the  heat  of  the  day  through 


1.  The  use  i)f  tlie  word  ••piickers"  is  introduced  in  tliis  work,  only  in  such  places 
a.s  the  same  is  quoted.  It  means,  in  coniinoii  parlanee.  amonj:  woodsmen  and  voy- 
agcurs,  the  persons  who  carry,  in  packs  upon  theirslioulders,  tlie  provisions,  etc., 
for  the  voyage;  u.sually  by  a  "packstrap"  across  the  breast  or  forehead. 

2.  In  a  letter  Mr.  .T.  M.  Barnes,  the  photosirapiier  of  the  party,  says:  "Am  sorry 
indeed,  to  say  that  tlie  plate  exjiosed  for  Elk  lake  was  light  .>;truck,  and  therefore 
useless  to  print  from."  Mr.  Siegfried  states  that  the  plate  e.vposed  for  Elk  lake 
was  ruined,  in  handling,  before  his  party  hud  reached  a  point  where  the  same 
could  be  developed .  A  desire  to  reproduce  this  plate  of  Elk  lake  is,  consequently, 
necessarily  abandoned . 


THE   ROB   ROY   EXPEDITION.  181 

the  dense  timber,  consuming  thirty-live  minutes  of  time. 
Thus,  it  is  seen,  that  they  did  not  visit  Morrison  hill,  where 
the  distance  between  the  lakes  is  less  than  five  hundred  feet. 
The  trip  was  not  projected  with  a  view  of  <^eo«>:raphical  dis- 
covery, but  simply  as  a  recreative  ••outing."  the  party  con- 
sidering the  valuable  work  of  Schoolcraft  and  Nicollet,  in 
that  regard,  as  paramount,  and  sufficiently  detinite  to  gainsay 
the  necessity  of  further  exploration  for  geographic  facts, 
although  they  thought  Elk  lake  to  be  the  highest  tributary. 
Upon  examination  the  mouth  of  Chambers  creek,  as  it  enters 
Itasca,  was  found  by  this  party  to  be  struggling  through 
bogs.  Awarding  to  William  Morrison  the  honor  of  the 
'•first  seen  of  white  men."  in  1804.  at  the  source,  this  party 
of  adventuresome  explorers  departed  from  Schoolcraft 
island  on  the  morning  of  July  15.  1879,  to  endure  the  hard- 
ships and  adventures  of  a  canoe  voyage  down  the  Missis- 
sippi to  civilization.  They  designated  their  visit  as  "The 
Rob  Roy  Expedition  of  1879 "  after  the  character  of  their 
several  canoes  which  they  had  named  the  ••Betsie  D," 
"  Hattie  "  and  •' Kleiner  B^ritz."  The  party  were  particu- 
larly successful  in  all  they  had  at  first  contemplated,  disap- 
pointed only,  in  the  hardships  they  were  compelled  to 
endure.  The  photograph  of  Elk  lake,  taken  by  this  expe- 
dition, was  from  a  point  at  the  west  shore  near  the  mouth 
of  the  small  stream  now  very  appropriately  named  Siegfried 
creek,  in  the  absence  of  any  other  name  recognized  by 
acknowledged  authority.  Siegfried  creek  is  particularly 
described  in  the  consideration  of  the  Elk  lake  locality. 


81IMHVIS10X  EK^HTEENTH. 


GEOLOGIC  AND  BOTANIC  EXAMINATION  AT  ITASCA 
LAKE  BY  O.  E.  GARRISON;  LOST  AT  THE  LITTLE 
MAN  TRAP;  HE  REACHES  ELK  LAKE;  PORTAGE 
TO  ITASCA;  CAMP  ON  GARRISON  POINT;  ITASCA 
LAKE  COASTED. 


June  28th,  1880,  under  the  auspices  of  the  10th  census  of 

the  United  States,  Depart- 
ment  of    Forestry,     and 
incidentally  representing 
the  Geologic   Survey  of 
Minnesota,  under  Profes- 
sor N.   H.   Winchell.  Mr. 
O.    E.     Garrison   of    St. 
Cloud,  Minnesota.depart 
ed  from    his  home   with 
one  assistant,    for  an  ex- 
tended tour  to  and  beyond 
Itasca  lake,  and  down  the 
Mississippi.    Detailed  re- 
ports of  his  examination 
of  that  locality  were  made 
which  have  become  pub 
lie  documents.     Mr.  Gar 


3111.  O.  E.  CfARRISON. 


-GEOLOGIC    AND   BOTANIC    EXAMINATION.  183 

rison,  who  for  many  years  was  a  Government  Surveyor 
of  the  public  lands  in  portions  of  the  iioithern  part  of 
Minnesota,  was  also  during  liis  lifetime  j)roticient  as  a  civil 
engineer,  and  pursued  studies  in  botany  and  geology,  and 
he  was  admirably  fitted  to  conduct  the  examination  now  under 
consideration — hampered  only  by  a  want  of  breadth,  caused 
by  almost  total  deafness. 

Mr.  Garrison  passed  down  the  Wing  river  from  Verndale, 
Minnesota,  to  the  Crow  Wing  river.  He  passed  up  the  last 
named  stream  by  canoe,  variously  noting  geologic  and 
botanic  examinations  until  on  the  13th  day  of  July,  he 
reached  the  neighborhood  of  the  Little  Man  Trap  lake,  and 
putting  off  in  his  canoe  in  search  of  a  pc  ,age  from  the  north 
end  of  that  lake,  he  became  bewildered  in  the  coils  of  the 
well  named  Little  Man  Trap,  near  the  southern  edge  of  the 
Itasca  Basin  and  seeking  a  return  from  his  difficu'ty,  Mr- 
Garrison  spent  the  following  thirteen  days  in  a  circuitous 
route  in  reaching  the  southern  portion  of  the  Basin,  only 
four  miles  to  the  northwestward  from  his  camp  of  the 
13th.  Here  Mr.  Garrison  entered  iipon  a  most  interesting 
spot,  the  highest  reservoir,  the  Ultimate  Ba.sin  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river;  but  intent  upon  reaching  Itasca  lake,  he 
seems  not  to  have  either  considered  or  examined  the  im 
portance  of  the  locality  he  was  visiting.  Pushing  by  port- 
ages through  lakes,  over  hills  and  across  ponds,  he  noted 
down  very  accurately  the  route  from  the  lakes  at  the  top  of 
the  hills  to  Whipple  lake,  to  the  west  shore  of  Elk  lake, 
stranding  his  canoe  in  Chambers  creek,  between  Elk  and 
Itasc  d  lakes,  in  the  absence  of  a  iufllcient  depth  of  water  to 
permit  of  passage  in  his  canoe.  He  reached  the  summit 
of  Morrison  hill  overlooking  Itasca  lake,  July  30th,  and  by 


184  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVER   AND     ITS   SOURCE. 

portago.  reached  the  lake,  camping  at  the  point  opposite 
the  mouth  of  Chambers  creek  on  the  west  shore  of  the  west 
arm.  The  following  day,  Mr.  Garrison  skirted  the  shores 
of  Itasca,  examining  the  different  kinds  of  timber,  and 
returning  to  camp,  left  the  locality  the  next  morning, 
August  1st,  for  a  conti  mance  of  his  voyage  down  the  Mis 
sissippi. 

He  places  his  record  in  two  series,  commencing  his 
second  series,  on  the  shore  of  Elk  lake.  His  estimate  of 
the  height  of  land  south  of  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir, 
and  his  subsequent  notice  of  his  visit  to  the  beaver  dam 
with  its  running  stream  into  Floating  Moss  lake,  his  port- 
age across  the  hills  to  Elk  lake,  the  climbing  of  the  tree  to 
view  the  locality,  and  his  conclusion  that  '  None  of  the  hills 
were  nore  than  twenty  or  twenty  five  feet  high,"  place  him 
in  the  category  of  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  for  he  had 
already  descended  into  the  valley  of  the  Basin  moro  than 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  his  advance  toward  Itasca 
lake  from  the  Heights  of  Land,  less  than  three  miles  to  the 
southward  from  his  camp  on  the  west  shore  of  Elk  lake. 

There  is.  however,  let  it  be  said  to  the  credit  of  a  faithful 
servant  of  the  government,  a  reasonable  explanation  of  this 
apparent  error  in  regard  to  the  height  of  the  hills.  Mr. 
Garrison  had  reached  the  west  shore  of  Elk  lake  from 
Whipple  lake  by  a  descent  of  ninety- three  feet,  passing 
through  a  heavy  body  of  pine  timber,  many  of  the  trees 
standing  more  than  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  in 
endeavoring  to  view  the  locality  at  an  elevation  above  the 
surface,  by  ascending  the  tree,  his  view  was  obscured  by 
the  height  of  the  timber  he  had  passed  in  reaching  Elk 
lake. 


<iKOLOGIC   AND    BOTANIC    KXAMFNATION.  185 

Mr.  Garrison's  description  of  the  outlet  of  Elk  lake  where 
—  "the  water  was  low.  and  a  few  rods  down  from  Elk  lake, 
the  canoe  stranded  on  the  pebbly  bottom  of  the  brook  "— 
when  he  landed  and  portaged  across  to  Itasca,  is  excellent 
evidence  of  the  condition  of  that  stream  on  the  30th  day  of 
July,  1880.  Mr.  Garrison's  scientific  research  upon  his 
canoe  voyage  of  sixty  days  and  his  reports  thereon,  contri- 
bute valuable  additions  to  sources  of  information  on  tlie 
various  topics  he  discusses. 

The  point  upon  which  he  camped  has  been  named  Garri 
son  point. 


SIH-DIVISK^X   MXKTEEXTH. 


EARLY  VISITORS  TO  ITASCA;  CHARLES  LANMAN'S 
CLAIM;  ALLAN  MORRISON. 


Among  the  minor  early  visitors  to  Itasca  lake,  or  those 

who  claim  to  have  visited 
the  locality,  are  Charles 
Lanman,  in  1846,  the  Rev. 
Frederick  Ayer  and  son^  in 
1849;  Mr.  Bungo,a  represen- 
tative of  the  colored  race,  i  n 
1865, who  originally  claimed 
that  he  was  ' '  the  first  white 
man  who  discovered  Itasca 
lak<  he  several  employes 
of  Edwin  S.  Hall  in  1875, 
and  several  land  cruisers 
from  1875  to  1881. 

Nothing  has  been   found 

to  show    that  any   of  these 

MR.  CHAKLEs  LANMAN.  gentlemen    performed    any 


1.  Application  was  made  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ayer's  son  for  a  detailed  report  of 
his  father's  visit  to  Itasca,  the  reverend  gentleman  beint;  long  since  deceased, 
hut  no  answer  caiiio.  Application  for  this  record  being  renewed  though  Mr.  ,T.  H. 
Khodes,  the  following  reply  was  received: 

"Yours  Ciiino  in  due  time.  I  saw  Mr.  Ayer,  who  said  th<'it  lie  "would  look  the 
matter  up.  I  delayed  writing  you,  thinking  that  he  would  report  tome.  As  so 
much  time  has  elapsed.  I  presume  that  he  may  have  reported  directly  to  you. 
whieli  1  hope  may  be  the  case." 


KAlir.V    VISIT(11{S    TO    ITASCA.  1H7 

special  or  particular  service  or  inade  any  discoveries  of 
note,  touching  or  in  anywise  affecting  geographical  infor- 
mation at  the  Itasca  Basin. 

There  seems  to  be  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  early  .set 
tiers  of  Minnesota,  to  require  some  further  light  '  regarding 
Mr.  Lanmans  visit  to  Itasca  lake  in  li^4t').  As  it  does  not 
appear  that  he  claims  to  have  made  any  discoveries  there, 
information  given  by  himself  will  probably  be  all  that  is 
required. 

It  has  been  stated  that  his  voyage  was  the  ••outgrowth  of 
a  wandering  tour  from  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi  to  Ihe 
waters  of  Lake  Superior,  performed  in  a  craoe  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1H46.  with  a  party  of  Ojibway  Indians  and  piloted  by 
the  Indian  trader,  Allan  Morrison-. 

"Knowing  as  Mr.  Lanman  did  that  his  friend  H.  R. 
Schoolcraft  had  long  before  explored  the  romantic  region 
as  a  discoverer,  his  own  object  was  simply  to  describe  what 
he  saw  and  heard  from  the  standjioint  of  a  landscape  painter 
and  lover  of  the  romantic  in  nature  and  frontier  life."' 

1.     A  i'iiinniunii"it inn  fiom  Mr.   Luiiiiiiiil  i-  iiDtt'il: 

•'Dear  Sir:  — 

Ihavcyoui-  letlci- of  the  l.")t  li  iii>t ..  ;iiiil  ;iin  sorry  that  I  c'iiiinot 
seud  you  a  niort'  sati.ifiU'tory  reply.  I  cannot  at  this  late  date  prepare  a  nioTr 
conipleto  record  about  my  visit  to  tiie  headwaters  of  tlie  Ml.ssissippi  tlian  tln' 
one  to  be  found  in  my  •Summer  in  the  \VildtrneKi< '  and  tliat  you  will  please  renu'in- 
ber,  was  written  l)y  a  boy-tourist  and  landscape  painter.  As  to  the  picture 
whicli  I  enclose,  it  only  represents  a  fellow  wlio  once  siiot  a  raccoon  within  I  tie 
limltsof  wluit  is  now  tlie  City  of  St.  I'aul. 

Very  truly  yours. 

.1.  V.  Brower.  Ksq..  Cliarles   Lani.ian." 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota 


3  Mr.  Morrison  is  credited  with  the  st.;iteuient  tliat'he  could  claim  the  discovery 
of  the  source  of  the  Mis.sisslppi,  having  visited  the  locality  before  Schoolcraft,  but 
after  bis  brother  William,  to  whom  he  awarded  the  honor  of  a  first  discovery. 


SL'IMMVISION  T\\K\TIF/rir. 


SOJOURN  OF  REV.  J.  A.  GILFILLAN'S  J»ARTY  AT 
ITASCA  LAKE  ;  WHIPPLE  LAKE  NAMED  ;  FIRST 
SERMON  AT  THE  SOURCE;  AN  INTERESTING 
EPISTLE. 


In  May.  IhhI.  in  company  with  Mr.  \V.  W.  Cook,  now  Pro- 
fessor of  Chemistry  in  the  University  of  Vermont,  the  Rev. 
J.  A.  Gilfillan.  an  Episcopal  missionary  stationed  at  White 
Earth.  Minnesota,  made  a  ])ilgrimaf;Ct'  to  Itasca  lake,  not  for 
the  purpose  of  discovery  as  it  is  now  understood,  but  purely 
one  of  curiosity  to  visit  and  see  the  Itasca  Basin.  Their 
guide  was  an  Ojibway  Indian,  named  Sha-wun-uk-u-mig. 

Leaving  the  old  Red  River  trail,  the  party  walked  du«' 
north  several  miles  over  a  level  prairie,  entering  upon  a 
difficult  country,  extending  thence  to  Itasca,  considerable  to 
the  northward,  across  swamps,  over  hills,  through  forests 
and  tangled  thickets,  until  they  reached  a  small  lake  one 
mile  south  of  Nicollefs  chain  of  lakes,  naming  the  same. 
Whippl*'  lake— in  honor  of  th*'  Bishop  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Diocese  of  Minne.sota.  This  was  the  most  impor- 
tant action  had  by  th(3  party,  as  it  attached  u  name  to  thf> 
locality  that  will  endure  to  the  end.  Following  their  course 
to  Itasca  lake,  the  party  reached  Elk  lake  and  named  the  same 
Lake  Breck  —not  accepted  by  geographers  and  map  makers. 


Ki;V.  J.   A.  CILFU.I.AN. 


SO.K)UllN    l)K    UKV.    .1.    A.    <;ILFILLAN'H    I'AUTY.  18« 

for  tin*  reason  thiit  its  pro|H'r  name  is  Elk  lakr.  so  desig- 
nated by  tho  U'j^ul  authority  «'lsewhero  quoted,  (An  act  of 
the  Leffislatur*'  of  Minnesota)  and  the  action  of  the  properly 
constituted  autliorities  of  th«'  United  States  in  its  public 
survey,  who  placed  thf  nam««  -Elk  lake"  on  the  official 
map  in  IHTO. 

The  party  pas'Sed  ou  to  Itasca  lake  and  for  the  tirst  tim»» 
in  its  history,  i-olij^ious  services  were  celebrated  by  a  recita- 
tion of  the  Creed  with  surplict'  and  stole,  and  a  sermon  from 
"Then  had  thy  peaw  hwu  as  a  river." 

The  party  visited  Morrison  hill,  saw  traces  of  Edwin 
Hall's  wa^on  road,  (examined  the  locality  in  a  casual  way, 
but  did  not  see  or  visit  the  outlet  at  the  north  end  of  th«' 
north  arm.  The  party  returned  after  a  tedious  and  tiresome 
trip  to  the  place  from  wln»nce  they  came  and  resumed  theii- 
several  avocations,  spending;  but  one  day  in  their  march  to 
and  from  Itasca. 

An  article  mostly  upon  r«'ligious  topics  was  published  de- 
scriptive of  this  pilwrimaj<e,  in  the  Minnesota  MiHsionary  for 
the  month  of  July,  18H1,  (Vol.  4,  No.  10,  page  3).  With  the 
exception  of  the  name  "Lake  Whipple."  the  results  of  this 
visit  are  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  further  con- 
sideration. The  common  acceptance  of  the  name  "Whipple" 
as  applied  to  the  locality,  places  Mr.  (Tiltillan  in  the  list  of 
those  who  have  from  time  to  time,  consti'ucted  the  geo- 
graphical nomenclature  of  the  Basin  by  piecemeal. 

In  this  article  referred  to,  the  reverend  gentleman  erro- 
neously distinguishes  the  small  stream  which  tlows  from  the 
north  end  of  Whipple  lake,  as  passing  through  Elk  lake,  on 
its  downward  course.  Such  is  not  the  case,  as  it  passes 
successively  through  Floating  Moss  lake,  the  unique  Missis 


:»() 


TIIK    MIHHISSMM'I    UIVKH    ANI»    ITS    KOUUrK. 


sippi  HprinK»*.   tlx*  uppfi-.  middle  iitid   lower  Nicollt't    liikes, 
and  th(ui('«'  \)y  the  principal  rhaiitifl  to  tlif  (iiill*. 

Mr.  (iiltilluti.    ill  !idditir>ii   lo   his   pi'i'sotiul    viHit    t(i    ItHscii 
liiku,  huH  Im'uii  uit  important  lactor.  olherwiso,  in  coiiiicction 
with  tlu*  invi'Ht.i^ation  roiK-erninj;  tin- . source  of  tne  Missis 
sippi. 

A  man  of  spotloHM  fhftriwtor  ai.d  superior  int4'Ui^en<ro,  a 
residence  of  twenty  years  ainon^'  the  (y|ibwn.y  Indians 
mal<es  the  information  he  has  ^iveti,  (■f)mini,''  from  triliai 
sources  or  <»therwise,  toe  the  purposes  of  this  report,  the 
most  IruHtworthy  and  re|i;it)|»'. 


SflMMVIsloX   I'U'KNTV-FIKST. 

THE  (iLA/IKie  FIASCO;  AN  INDIAN  MAI'  DIS 
TOKTKl);  IIINciKK  AND  HASTK:  A  FICTITIOUS 
SOlJIiCK;  I'l.ACIAinSM  I'KliSONII-'IKD;  HIS 
CLAIMS  SHOWN  TO  HK  FoCNDKD  ON  l-'AJ.SK 
STATKMKNTS;  DISCKKDITKD  HV  (iKOCiKAIMIICAL 
SOCIKTIKS  AND  THK  CONOIilvS  INTERNATIONAL. 


In  Uh'  li^'hl  of    ill   tlic   historic  ami  ^'«'<)^rr!i|.hic  irif(»rniii 
tion,  upon  wliicli   is  |»n'«li«-ut««(l  the  fon'«,'oiri^'  subdivisions, 
which,  it,  is  liopod.  su('«!intly  cornhini- ail    lli.-  nioi»'  ruiitorijij 
fucts  conctcrninj,' (liscovcrii's  from   tln' tnoufh  ol    the  Missis 
si|)pi    river    to    Itasca     lake   and    its    principal     t riluitarics, 
including'  Kik   lake  and  its  crcoks.  it  is  related    in   f|i».  puh 
lishcd  writings  of  Mr.  \V.   (Jla/ii-r'  that    he   renr,.,.|t,.,|    t,|,.it 
there  was  much   uncertainty  as   to   Mi.-   true  somcc  of   the 
Mississippi  river. 

From  Cleveland.  Oiiio.  in   May  IMHI,  |,e  ]>r(K-eeded   to  St 
Paul.  Minn«!sota,  where  he   was  joined   by  Cieorjfe  (Jlazier, 
his  brother,  and  Mr.  Barrett  (Jhannin^'  i'aine.  of  Indianapo 
lis,  Indiana,   employed  as  a  nc^wspaper  ctjrrespondent  and 
othurwiso.     At  St.  I'aid  suppTuss  w<!re  procuri'd  preparatory 

1  Mr.  fifonfiiC.  IIiirllMII,  Mliriirlilll  of  flu-  Alnillciin  (;.«(.«l;ii.lilciil  S.Ml..|y.  in 
iiullK.illy  Tor  III)'  still. tuiril,  lliiil  '•  llii:  tKiiii.'  Wlllunl  (;|.i/1.t  i>  mil.  I..  Ii.'  rmnul  In 
III.  I'.  S  Army  H.inNl.-r.  m.r  In  Mi.'  Ilsl  i.f  onir-.-rs  nl  Vujiiiil.'Cis,  IWU-IhIw.  in  the 
r<Miirtl-.i  of  tlif  War  Iti-imrtrii.jut,  nor  In  Ihi!  U.  S.  Niivy  KcKlsU-r. 


1J>1I  THK    MISSISSII'IM    KIVKIt    AND    ITS   HOURCE. 

to  a  departure  over  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  for 
Brainerd,  Minn.  At  Brainerd  the  party  prepared  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  Itasca  Basin  by  way  of  Leech  lake,  engaging  an 
overland  conveyance.  It  is  stated  that  on  July  17th,  1881, 
with  an  Indian  guide  he  called  Che-no-wa-ge-sic,.  Mr.  Glazier 
and  his  companions  departed  from  Leech  lake  in  canoes  for 
the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi,  over  the  identical  route 
traversed  by  M.  Nicollet,  forty-five  years  previously,  from 
the  latter  lake  to  Schoolcraft  island. 

Preparatory  to  this  canoe  voyage,  the  Indian  guide  had 
been  i-equested  to  prepare  maps  of  the  country,  in  the 
absence  of  copies  of  the  official  plats  of  the  government, 
which,  as  subsequent  events  indicate,  were  not  known  to 
exist  by  the  Glazier  party.  Following  the  lead  of  their 
Ojibway  guide, ^  depending  upon  him  and  his  crude  map  as 
a  base  of  action,  and  seized  with  the  idea  that  t^'ere  was  a 
lake  beyond  Itasca,  undiscovered  and  unknown,  the  party 
left  Leech  lake  in  three  birch  bark  canoes,  and  by  a  series 
of  portages,  "in  blissful  ignorance  of  what  a  portage  really 
'was,"  they  passed  to  the  westward  from  Leech  lake,  up 
small  streams,  across  lakes,  over  hills  and  through  swamps, 
attaching  names  to  streams  and  lakes  on  the  assumption 
that  no  white  man  had  preceded  them.  The  party  reached 
the  east  shore  of  the  east  arm  of  Itasca  lake  on  July  21st. 
1881,  precisely  where  Schoolcraft  and  Nicollet  had  arrived 


1  The  name  as  siveii  by  Rev.  .1.  A.  UilflUan.  a  student  of  the  Ojihway  lau;;u- 
age,  is  She-na-wi-gi-shlek.  Mr.  Gilfillan.  than  whom  no  more  reliablo  Individual 
speaks  the  Ojil)way  language,  interviewed  She-na-wi-gi-shick,  and  credits  this 
Indian  witli  tlie  followuig  statement: 

"I  well  knew  tliat  Lake  Breck,  tlit;  Elk  lake  of  the  maps,  was  not  the  true  lieaii. 
but  only  the  plaee  where  the  waters  were  gathered;  I  knew  tliat  the  true  head  was 
a  little  stream  a  mile  or  two  to  the  west,  rut'.ning  into  the  west  arm  of  Lake  Itasca. 
Glazier  never  asked  me  to  take  him  to  the  true  head,  and  I  well  knew  that  I  did 
not  take  him  there." 


THE  CLAZIF.Ii    FIASCO. 


193 


more   than  forty  years   before,  aud  \vhere   tlH>  stakes  and 
blazed  lines  of  the  public  .survey  were  in  conspicuous  view. 


AN   INDIAN   MAP  OF  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSII'PI,   DRAWN  BY 
SUE-NA-Ul-GI-SHICK,   AN  OJIBWAY   INDIAN,    ISdU. 

This  map  was  drawn  at  tho  roqur'st  <if  Rev.  J.  A.  Giltillan  by  the  Indian 
employed  by  Glazier  in  is^l,  as  a  Ruid.;.    The  man  is  the  same,  in  all 
essential  partieulars,  as  the  one  drawn  by  the  same  Indian  in  1881, 
from  which   all  the  Glazier  Maps  have  beea  taken. 
-13 


194  THK    MISSISSII'lM    KI\KK    AND    ITS    SOUKCK. 

A*  this  timo.  it  had  been  discoverod  that  aftor  tlieir  foui- 
days  travel,  theii*  supply  of  provisions  and  ammunition  was 
about  exhausted,  the  fishing  tackle  IkkI  l)een  lost,  and  the 
party  considered  themselves  in  iinmineni  (hinj^er  for  want  of 
subsistence.  In  this  condition,  they  reachf^d  Scliooh-raft 
island  and  camped  for  tlie  niffht.  On  the  mornin*^  of  the 
i'2d,  after  an  <'qual  distribution  of  a  ration  amon«i:  the  six- 
persons,  the  party,  at  about  8  o'clock  a.  .m.,  emVjarkcsd  for 
Elk  lake',  two  miles  to  \ho  southward  from  Sclioolcraft 
island. 

The  party  experienced  ffroat  ditticulty  in  propelling  their 
canoes  through  the  rushes  at  the  month  of  Chambers  creek 
and  up  its  channel,  removing  logs  and  reducing  diminutive 
sand  bars  with  canoe  paddles,  in  (jrder  that  their  canoes  might 
pa.ss  up  the  creek  between  Itasca  and  Elk  lak'-;.  a  distance 
of  but  little  more  than  one  thousand  feet.  Reaching  Elk 
lake,  they  passed  to  the  point ^  indenting  its  southern  .shore. 


1  Mr.  Gilfilliiti  in  ;i  private  letter.  Sept .  2",ttli.  l>>s(i,  wrote:  -'Tlie  ulin /e  (iiatniiii: 
his  visit  at  tlielake)  (K-curied,  as  I  have  said,  t wo  inoiillis  before  Glazier's  trip: 
and  it  wa-  well  linowti  to  him  before  lie  sl;irted  llial  I  liad  been  tliere  befor(>  hini 
as  I  went  fioni  Lake  Itasca  straiijlit  to  Leech  lake  where  he  started,  and  told  the 
people  tlicre  [  ha<l  been  to  Itasca  lake,  and  he  heard  it  from  the  resident  clergy- 
man there  and  niany  others.  *  ♦  *  •  *  *  ijii)  it  was  no  feat  anyway  to  fio  to 
Lake  Breck  (Elki  as  he  did,  nor  was  lie  oronr  party  the  iiisl  that  had  been  there, 
for  we  fonnd  a  cleared  place  there  near  Liike  Hreck  and  the  dunt?  of  horses  and 
other  si;rns  of  while  nieti's  habitation  for  a  con>ideral)le  time,  and  an  old  wa^ron 
road  lead  in:;  into  it  from  t,he  southeast.  I  have  talked  since  Glazier's  expedition 
with  C'he-na-wi-j:i-sic,  ;is  he  called  him.  liis  ,;ruide  and  boatman,  w  liom  I  have 
known  fiw  years.  All  tlie  speec-hes.  etc..  attributed  to  him,  by  (Jla/.ier,  are  fables 
asmiL'hlbe  e.vpected,  and  never  occurred.  He  speaks  no  En;;lish  and  Gla/.ier  no 
O.iibway.  and  all  ascribed  to  him  comes  from  (Jla/.ler's  ima^rinatioii.  Indeed,  all 
hi.s  book  and  claims,  as  yiiu  know,  are  a  \V(;rk  of  in\;isinati<)n,  e.xcept  that  he  went 
to  Lake  Breck  (Elk)  wliich  is  a,  i)erfectly  simjjle  thins  itnd  can  b(!  done  by  any  one 
who  would  ffive  a  Leech  lake  Indian  pi'ihaps  twenty  doUai-s  to  l;ike  liim  there  in  a 
canoe  and  baclc.  and  is  nearly  as  simple  and  as  little  worth  talkini;  abC(Ut  as  sioin:! 
In  u  canoe  from  St.  Paul  to  Hustings." 

2  Julius  Chambers  reached  this  point  .Tunc  10th,  18?2.  and  then  wrote:  "Here, 
then,  is  </ic  Hoiirirot  tlie  lon^'est  river  in  the  world."  See  pji^e  s.  iV.  1'.  i/ernid  of 
.Tuly  6th.  1WT:;i.  Thus  more  than  nine  years  previous  to  Mr.  Glazier's  alle;_'ed  discov- 
ery, the  work  of  Chambers  (?ave  to  the  world  all  there  was  to  ;rive,  coneernins;  Elk 


TFIK   CLA/IKIt    I" I, \ SCO.  195 

(Icrlared  the  lako  to  !)»>  tho  sourco  of  tlio  Mississippi,  and 
mim<Ml  it  -Lala!  Ghizicr."  From  tho  Iiuliun  map'  they 
lixcd  names  to  small  (•.•vcks  fiit(!riiiy  Kile    hike;  j-t'tunnid  on 


\;iUv,  in  rlic  hIiscih-c  n(  mm  :i'Mii:il  liydrDjinipliic  survey,  tliini'.'li  :is  tii  Its  tx-iiij^  tin- 
s..iir<rf  (if  Ihf  Mississi|)|)l.  hf  fell  iiiiiillir  saiur  firm- ;is  did  A.  II.  Sitirfricd.  who. 
.Inly  i:t.  |s7!l.  two  yciiis  l)t  I'orr  t  lit'  <ii,i/iii- party  if:icln'<l  this  laUr.  stood  iiiioii  lis 
wi'stfrii  short'  ainl  tlc<I:irfd  it  ti)  !»•  tlit!  "lii'.rhcsl  trilmtiiry  to  iIk'  .Mississippi."  Hi'u 
LitM\s\\lU\  I 'iHirier-JiHirniil.  .■\ii;.'iist,  lNT!t. 

Till'  (IlsfovtM'y  liy  ('haiiiht'rs  iniist  taki-  prfi-cdfiii-f  so  fur  as  Elk  lakt;  is  cou- 
fiTiifd,  t>\viiiK  solt'ly  to  lilt' fac-t  that  .Sch()<dcr;ift  :irid  NiroUcl  tnadf  no  slati'iiicnt 
I'oiK't'rnlnir  It,  it  thfn  (ISIiiJ-t;)  hiin;;  a  l);iy  of  Itasca  laUt'.  siiict'  scp;ir;iti'd  hy  iialunii 
(MUSI'S,  as  St  atfd  and  hilit'vcd  toht'tht;  fact.  Thus  discoveries  at  P'.lk  lako  (so- 
cMlled  (ila/ieriMre  1st,  .lean  N  Nicollet.  |m:1i;;  L'nd.  .lulius  <  •haiiiliers.  IHTti;  :ird,  Ed- 
win S.  Mall,  IKT.-i:  Itli,  A.  II.  Sic-fried,  IKTK;  5Mi,  o.  K.  (iarrisoti,  iKhO;  (1th.  Uev.  .T.  A. 
<;iltillari,  |s8|.  .-md  twoof  Ihi^stj  piililicly  proclaimed  it  tli(!  sourcf  of  tin;  Mississippi 
riv(!r(erront!Ously)  ht^fort;  Mr.  (Jlii/.ler  saw  it  or  knew  of  Its  exist enc<-.  His  tixpcdi- 
tion  l.sfonsftiut^ntly  llujTtli  to  rtiacli  Elk  lake  mikI  llie  I  hird  in  tlie  order  of  dtrelar- 
ind  It  thcstnirci!  of  the  Mississippi. 

,S(i  ho  disco V(!r('d  not h inn  there,  and  llien  Imldlv  |iliii;i.i.rl/cd  sclioolcraft's  wrlt- 
iti;;sin  an  ondt^avor  to  slow  that  he  did. 

Siil)se(|ucnl  events  indicate,  witli  an  MneiiiiiLr  certainty,  t  lie  deep  seated  pur- 
))ost's  and  plans  wliicli  wert;  so  .'idroilly  made  use  of.  in  an  t':.'re'.;ioiis  ;rt'o^'raphii; 
niisrei)rt'seiitatioii  of  natural  condit  itJiisexislinn  near  t  lie  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

1    Conoorniri<?thl.s  Indian  map  Mr.  (iilfiilan  wrote: 

"F  have  just  received  a  letter  from  my  LtHMdi  l;ike  fi  iend.  enclosing  the  within 
map,  drawn  hy  She-na  wi-L'i-slilck.  He  says:  "l  had  She-na-wi-Ki-sliick  draw  thi' 
enclosed  map.  We  had  no  map,  nor  w;is  tht;r<;  tiny  at  tiio  a;.'ency  hut  t  lit!  (ilazler 
map.'  N.  li.  I  told  hitu  to  show  Slie-na-wi-'_'i-sliick  on  the  '_'ood  map  which  he 
would  tint!  at  tln^  a^'tmcy,  the  lakes  you  spoke  (<f.  i|Mot  iiiir  to  liiiu  your  description 
of  them,  location,  t;t<j. 

'I  simply  had  to  take  that  and  ^'o  hy  your  (|U(;stion.  He  say.s  there  are  no  two 
lar-fo  lakes  hesides  tht- one  culled  Gliizit"!-.  The  lakt-  noted  asOlazitM-is  t;alled 
O/li-a-wush-ko,  meaning  Green  lake.  The  map  in  Gla-ier's  pamphlet  or  book, 
purports  to  he  fi-otn  tht;  one  lie  drew,  hut  he  says  it  has  lie  -i  deviattHl  from.  The 
one  enclosed  is  Just  such  a  one  as  htr  furnished  (ila/icr.  He  said  to  me,  tliat  the 
party  went  around  the  lake.  lEIk  lake)  hut  did  not  e\pIori>  the  streams  llowiic'  into 
it  from  the  south.  Tliey  took  no  miiasurcnr'iilsof  its  tlept h,  nor  altitude  above 
the  sea  levt  I.' 

In  refi'ienct'  to  the  Indian  name'  of  Hre<'k  (Elk)  lake,  L'iveii  in  the  above  e.vtract 
by  She-iia-wi-;;i-slilck  as  Green  lake.  I  would  say  that  in;  told  me  Ions  as?o  it  waw 
Pe-ke-gu-maji,  an.itliciscrt  Pokesatna,  mi^aninK 'a  water  Juttini;  off  from  anotluT 
water.'  something  as  a  lln.ner  from  a  hand.  The  explanation  in  niy  mind  itj  either 
that  that  lake,  lying  In  a  region,  visited,  until  vt^ry  lately,  by  but  very  few  Indians, 
liad  no  very  distinctive  name,  but  was  described  in  both  the  abovt;  ways,  to  make 
tliost!  who  did  liapi It'll  to  know  it,  know  what  lake  they  were  talking  about,  and  so 
described  in  two  w  aj's  its  two  prominent  cliar.acttiristics,  eitheras  Green  lake, 
from  its  color,  or  its  peculiarity  of  .jutli-ig.  or  being  a  sort  of  annex  of  ItascalaKe. 

I  knew  before  that  tliere  would  be  no  Indian  names  for  the  lakes  you  wroti; 
al)out.  I  hope  that  you  now  htive  all  the  Information  needed.  I  f  t  here  be  any- 
thinL'clse  in  which  lean  help  you  please  let  me  know  and  I  will  liave  it  attended  to. 


\UCi  THE    MISSISSIIMM    KlVKIi    AM)    ITS   SOL'KCK. 

the  same  day  to  Schoolcraft  island,  and  hastily  i>roceodiiijr 
to  the  north  end  of  Itasca  lake,  j)assed  down  the  Mississippi 
about  ten  miles  and  camped  for  the  night  of  July  22nd,  18S1. 
But  one-half  of  one  day,  without  the  use  of  any  instruments 
for  observations  or  measurements,  was  expended  in  an  ill - 
leged  location  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  river,  years 
after  others  had  done  the  same  thing,  at  the  same  place. 

This  brief  statement  is  based  upon  the  published  report 
of  the  Glazier  \'oyag<3  to  Elk  lake,  which  is  accepted  as  the 
action  taken  by  him  at  that  time  The  i)arty,  rack(»d  with 
the  pangs  of  hung(M".  consum(!d  ilm  carcass  of  an  otter,  and 
for  days  subsisted  on  whatever  they  were  able  to  capture 
without  fishing  tackle  and  on  a  short  allowance  of  ammuni- 
tion, finally  reaching  the  outskirts  of  civilization  in  an 
exhausted  condition  from  exposure  and  hunger,  seeming  to 
have  been  entirely  ignorant  of  the  necessities  of  subsist- 
ence, until  a  bitter  experience  taught  the  party  a  necessary 
lesson. 

It  has  been  stated  as  a  fact  that  Willard  Glazici-  and  Mr. 
Paine  performed  a  r<Mnarkable  canoe  voyage  to  the  Gulf  of 


My  fiiciid  paid  Slic-iia-w  i-ui->hirU  ti.(Ki.  In-  u  i  itc->  rue.  fof  liis  liDiililr  in  <1  raw- 
ing tliu  map.  etc..  wliii'li  vci'.v  --in a II  cunt  rihiilinti.  il  i-  a  |)li':isiiii'  In  me  I o  make  to 
the  cause  of  science. 

If  after  you  art;  done  with  Slie-iiu-wi-L'i---liicl<'s  niiii).  > on  iln  rmi  care  for  it,  I 
would  be^rliul  to  liaveit,  returned.     I  am 

Kespecl  fully  yniir-. 

.)     .\.  Cill.lILLAN." 

From  tliis  entirely  trustworthy  statement,  it  would  apijear  :  hat  Slie-na-wi-jri- 
sbick  never  saw  oi-  knew  of  the  larue  lakes  soutli  of  Whipple  lake,  now  first 
named— either  ijy  Indians  or  whites— Morrison  and  Hernando  de  Soto  lakes.  She- 
na-wl-gi-sliick  oiui's these  lakes  from  liis  map.  also  Whipple  lake,  tlie  Triplets  anil 
several  otliers.  It  is  ao>irit)us  fact  that  Slie-na-\vi-i;i-sliicli  inclu<les  distinctly 
the  three  Nicollet  lakes  upi.n  liis  map.  indicatinii'  tlie  natural  division  hei  ween  the 
I'pper  and  Middle  lakes  and  tlie  d  -t ached  \ipper  fork  of  the  Mis>is.-ii)pi.  which  he 
very  correctly  delincalcil  as  liciii'.r  lnnirei' t li;i ii  ;iiiy  stream  foiimi  iliere. 


THK    Cr.A/JKU    FIASCO.  \97 

Mexico',  whicli  was  in  accordaiu-t'  witli  th<'  plans  contein- 
I)lale(l  at  tlio  inception  of  tlic  trip  to  Itasca  lake. 

Previous  to  their  arrival  a*^  the  Gulf  of  Moxico,  there  was 
commenced  a  studied  and  thorou<^lily  orji'anized  effort  to 
force  upon  an  unsuspectin<r  public  tlu>  impression,  that  Elk 
lake  had  been  discovered  by  the  Glazier  party,  and  that  it 
was  the  principal  reservoir  at  the  source  of  the  Mississippi. 
Discoverin<^  that  Elk  lak<'  had  been  detinitely  located  an  1 
duly  named,  showint;^  its  connection  by  surfac«»  tlowage  with 
Itasca  lake  by  the  official  surveys  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment. Mr.  (rlazier  subsequently  receded  from  the  posi- 
tion taken  and  substituted  the  claim  that  his  party  had  dis- 
covered that  Elk  lak'  '"s  the  "primal  reservoir"  and  they 
the  first  to  discover  ai  n'  kc  known  its  importance  as  such. 
Imp«»rfect  and  misleadiuir  maps  were  made  to  conform  to 
the  several  claims  assumed,  the  last  of  which,  placed  a 
fictitious  Ifmgth  to  the  creek  conn  'Cting  Elk  and  Itasca 
lakes,  presumably  that  Elk  lake  miijrht  appear  to  be  situated 
much  farther  beyond  Itasca  lake  than  it  really  is.  thus  to 
more  effectually  impress  upon  the  public  mind  that  Elk  lake 
is  the  source,  i)reparatory  to  at  least  a  tacit  recognition  of 
a  baseless  claim. 


1  Prof.  T.  M.  Lewi.^,  a  weU  kimwii  aicliii'olojiist.  whose  .scieiilUie-  investig.i- 
tions  have  imulc  liim  familiar  with  theoiitiif  valloyuf  trie  Mississippi,  is  authority 
for  the  stalcmi'iit  tliat  tliere  is  much  doubt  (.•oncerninjr  tliis  canoe  voyage,  tho 
canoe  itself,  wliicli  lie  saw  at  St.  Louis,  not  lH;aring  upon  its  face  any  considera- 
hle  signs  of  liaving  lieen  used  for  so  long  a  voyage.  Messrs.  Ola/.ier  and  Paine 
undoubtedly  liecanie  personally  ac(iuainted  witii  the  comforts  of  lower  Mi.sslssippl 
river  steamboats  during  tlie  continuance  of  tlieir  voyage. 

In  an  interview  Mr.  Paine  is  reported  as  follows: 

"I  accompanied  Mr.  Glazier  on  Ids  journey  at  a  stipulated  salary  per  week.  Our 
objective  point  was  Itasca  lake.  Glazier  had  no  idea  of  exploring  any  lake  beyond 
that.  The  idea  first  entered  his  head  wlien  wo  were  part  way  between  Urainerd 
and  Leecli  lake.  There  we  met  an  old  man  who  told  us  tliat  Itasca  was  not  the 
farthest  lake,  and  that  there  was  another  a  little  beyond  Itasca.  He  had  no  more 
claim  to  the  discovery  than  you  had.  In  Mr.  Glazier's  recent  letter  1  see  that  he 
puts  forth  the  statements  tliat  the  lake  was  named  Lake  Glazier  contrary  to  his 
wishes.    That  statement  is  not  true," 


198  THK    MISSISSIPPI    inVKli    AM)    ITS    SOUUCE. 

Books,  masHzine  articles,  maps,  newspaper  contribution.-^, 
paid  advertisements,  proceedin^fs  of  informal  meetings, 
lectures,  correspondence,  garbled  quotations  from  authori- 
ties, literary  notices,  and  an  incalculable  amount  of  relevant 
and  irrelevant  matter  has  been  printed  and  published  with  the 
one  important  result  in  view — to  manufacture  public  sentiment 
sufficient  to  secure  recognition,  that  Elk  lake  might  be  changed 
in  name  and  permanently  fixed  as  the  source  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. To  this  end  public  officials,  map-makers,  publish- 
ers of  school-books,  editors  of  newspapers,  academies  and 
societies  in  Europe '  and  America,  educators,  professors  of 
t;olleges  and  citizens  generally,  were  sought  to  confirm  the 
claim  of  alleged  discovery.  That  this  deep-seated  and  well 
managed  scheme  of  deception  failed  ;n  its  purpose,  is 
owing  to  several  causes-. 


1  The  Royal  Geoj;rapliic;il  Society  of  London,  sofiiiotl  to  have  fonsidfri'd  this 
fictithjus  chiiiu  as  worthy  of  notice  and  endorsement. 

2  Tlie  Minnesota  Historical  .Society,  upon  a  consideration  of  the  question,  caased  to 
be  prepared  a  report,  by  Gen.  J.  H.  Haker,  severely  denouncing  the  attempt  to  change  tlie 
geoirraphy  of  Minn  sota. 

The  Legislature  of  the  State  jmsspd  the  following  enactment : 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Minn  pota: 

Section  1.  That  the  lake  known  for  many  years  to  the  Indians  and  early  explorers  as 
Elk  lake,  situated  in  Heltrami  county  in  section  twenty-two  (23)  of  town  one  linndre<l 
and  foity-three(l4d)  north,  range  tldrty-Bi.x  (.iti)  west,  lift h  principal  meridian,  Hhall  be 
known  and  designated  ht'reafter  on  all  oflic  al  ma  s  of  tlie  State  and  named  in  all  the 
County  and  State  records  referring  to  the  same  .-is  "E  k  lake." 

Sec.  2.  No  edition  of  any  school  geography  published  subsequent  to  January  one 
eighteen  hundred  anl  ninety,  which  contains  any  map  giving  any  name  to  tlie  lake 
specified  in  section  1  other  than  ''Elk  lak=."  sliall  be  used  in  the  s<-hools  of  this 
State. 

Sec.  3.    This  act  shall  take  efifect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage." 

Approved  April  ;24th,  188U. 

There  also  appeared  under  the  title  of  "Captain  Gla/.i  -r  and  his  lake"  a  i'efui;i- 
tionof  his  claims,  under  the  ausplce.s  of  Ivison,  Klakeiu.m.  Taylor  &  Co.  of  New 
York. 

Minor  causes  could  be  briefly  stated,  among  which  are  the  published  claim  that 
Mr.  Glacier  discovered  six  creeks  falling  into  Itasca  lake— the  si.xth  originating 
in  a  lake  aoriit  five  miles  soutli  of  Itasca  lake,  which  is  not  true.  Mr.  Glazier  di>- 
ci.ivcrcd  none  of  them,  and  his  own  account  admits  of  his  having  visited  but  one 
of  them. 


TiFK    (il.A/.lEK    FIASCO. 


19it 


OXE  OF  THE  OLAZIEK  3IAPS,    1881-6. 


200  rill.    MISSISSIIM'I    UIVEU    ANM)    ITS   SOUKCK. 

Mr.  (ihizior  caused  to  bo  liUblisluul  a  book..ontitlod  'Down 
the  Ciroat  River,"  descriptive  (if  liis  claims,  which  was 
copied  almost  bodily,  in  its  jirincipal  subject,  from  the  pub- 
lished works  of  lleiiry   R.  Schoolcraft  '.  without  credit. 

The  ])la^iarism.  so  palpable,  stamped  upon  his  purposes 
a  true  character,  and  its  dedication  did  not  save  it  from  a 
condign  refutation. 


1  Frtini  "Niirriitlvfiif  iiiK'xiH-dltioii  tliroiich  tlic  \ippt'r  Mlsr,Is>lp|)|  toTiiiscii  luki-" 
I  y   lltiiry  \i   ScliuokTiift,  ISC'.     I'lililislicd  liy  IhuiMT  and    HiutliiTs,  IKU,  pii'^'»'40: 

•'My  fat  liiT.  till' coiiiit  ry  you  aro  iioln;:  to  . set'  Is  my  luititiii;;  ground.  I  liavf 
inivclfd  with  yuii  many  days.  I  shall  ^'o  with  you  farther.  1  will  myself  fiirnisli 
tlio  maps  yon  liavi' ri'imt'st«'(.  and  will  Knidc  yon  oiiwaid.    There  arc  matiy  rapids 

in  the  way  l>nt  the  waters  are  favorahle.     I  shall isnlt  with  iriy  bund  about  the 

(•ano(>s  and  set>  who  will  step  forward  tn  furnish  them.  My  own  t'linoe  shall  be  one 
of  the  number." 

From  "Down  the  Great  River"  by  '•('api"i"  Willnrd  <ila/ier."  published  at  I'hila- 
delphia,  1887,  by  Hubbard  Uros..  p  4i»: 

•'My  brother,  the  country  you  are  ijoins;  to  visit  i--  my  hunt  in;.' ;iround.  I  have 
hunted  their  many  years  and  planted  corn  on  the  shores  of  .Liike  Itase.i.  My 
father,  now  an  old  man,  rememtM-rs  the  tirst  whltt!  chief  who  came  to  look  for  the 
source  of  the  ;;reat  river.  But  my  brother,  no  white  man  has  yet  seen  the  head 
of  the  father  of  waters.  I  will  m.vself  furnish  the  maps  you  have  called  for  and 
will  jjuide  you  onwaril.  There  are  m.-my  lakes  sirid  rivers  In  the  wa.v  but  the 
waters  are  favorable.  I  will  talk  with  my  friends  about  the  canoes  find  see  who 
will  step  forward  to  furnisli  them.     My  own  canoe  shall  be  one  of  the  number." 


■•Schoolcraft's  Narrative,'  1S34,  p  52: 

"Oza  Wlndib  soon  pushed  his  canoe  Into  the  weeds  and  ex(ialnied  "(Jinn 
jdifctunin  "  ("here  is  the  portage.')  A  man  who  is  called  on  for  the  first  time  to 
debark  in  such  a  pUu'e  will  look  about  him  tt)  discover  some  dry  spot  to  put  hi> 
feet  upon.  No  such  spot  ever  existed  here.  We  stepped  into  rather  warm  pond 
water  with  :i  miry  bottom.  After  wading  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  the  soil 
became  firm  and  we  soon  I'.cgan  to  ascend  a  sliirht  elevation  where  the  growth  par- 
takes more  of  the  character  of  a  forest. 

Glazier's  '•Down  the  Great  River."  p  (50. 

"Che-no-wa-fie-sic  S(K)n  pushed  his  canoe  into  the  rushes  and  e.\clalme(l  'oma 
mikunna'  here  is  the  portage.  A  man  who  is  called  on  for  the  llrst  time  to  debark 
in  such  aplace  will  cast  about  for  some  dr.v  spot  to  put  his  feet  upon.  No  such 
spot,  however,  existed  here.  Westepped  into  rather  warm  pond  water  with  a  miry 
bottom.  After  wading  a  liundrcd  yards  or  more,  the  soil  became  firm  and  we  began 
to  ascend  a  slight  elevation  where  the  growth  partook  more  of  the  character  of  a 
forest. 


"Schoolcraft's  Narrative,"  1834,  pp.  53.  .54. 

The  portage  f rt/in  the  east  to  the  west  branch  of  the  river  is  estimated  to  l)e  six 
miles. 

Beginning  in  a  marsh  it  soon  rises  into  a  little  elevation  of  white  cedar  wood,  then 
plunges  into  the  Intricacies  of  a  swamp  matted  w  ith  fallen  trees,  obscured  with 


THE   (ILA/IKU    FIASCO.  L'Ol 

His  staloments  are  so  dtn'oid  of  li-iith  and  voracity  that 
his  claim  as  a  discoveror  iifnominiously  subsides  by  reason 
of  the  wi'itfht  of  its  absurdity,  re))uj;nant  to  historical  and 
geotjrapliical  facts. 

The  selections  noted  are  so  strikingly  convincing  of  the 
real  character  of  the  two  writers  of  ]Ki2  and  1884  7.  that  it 

II10H8.  From  thin  thu  path  uniiirKvs  upon  dry  iiruund.  It  soon  ascends  an  elevation 
of  oL-f  uiili'  siiiiil  liavltiK  IxdiUlors  iiiid  lipurlnit  pint's.  TIuto  is  tlu-n  uiiollicr  <lesi'ont 
and  aiiotlicr  cU'valion.  In  shorl,  tin-  1  riivclcr  now  finds  lilinsclf  iTo».iri'_'  :i  sciics  of 
ililiivlal  siind-iidKt's which  fortii  llif  helirlil  of  ImikI  bftwccn  the  Mississippi  viillry 
and  tlio  Ut'd  river. 

Glazier's  'Down  the  Great  Itiver."  188T.  pp.  r.4, 1'l."). 

The  distaniM!  from  the  eastern  to  tlie  western  briinfli  of  tlie  Mis>i>slp|)i  i>  l)ci  ween 
six  and  seven  iniies.  He^innin};  in  aiuarsli  tlie  portaire  soon  reaelies  ;i  sIIkIiI  eleva- 
tion I'overed  with  a  jirowtli  of  cedar,  sprnce.  white  pine  and  taniaracit,  tlien  |)lnnKes 
into  a  swamp  malted  witli  fallen  treesoljscured  l)y  moss.  I^'rom  tlieswanip  tlie  I  rail 
emerf;es  upon  dry  ;;roiiiid,  wlience  it.  soon  ascends  an  eleval  ioti  of  oceanic  sand 
preseutluK  boulders  and  lieariuK  pines.  There  is  tlien  another  descent  and  another 
idevatlon.  In  short,  this  portasic  <'arried  us  over  a  series  of  diluvial  sand  ridges 
whicli  form  the  heijrht  of  land  l)etween  the  Mississlpni  and  the  Hed  river  of  the 
North. 


"Schoolcraft's  Narrative."  lHa4,  pp.  55.  iVi. 

Every  step  we  made  in  treadinj?  these  sandy  elevations  sei'med  to  increase  the 
ardor  witli  which  wo  were  carried  forward.  The  desire  of  readiin^;  tlie  iictual 
source  of  a  stream  so  celeljrated  as  tlie  Mississippi— a  stream  which  La  Saili;  had 
reached  the  mouth  of  a  I'ciitury  and  a  half  (lacking  a  yearl  l)efore,  was  perhaps 
predominant,  and  we  followed  our  f:nide  down  the  sides  of  the  last  elevation  witli 
the  e.xpectatlo'i  of  moncntarily  reaching  tl  e  iroal  of  our  journey.  What  had  hi'en 
louR  souf?lit  at  last  appeared  suddenly.  On  lurnlns  ont  of  alliicket  intoasmall 
weedy  openiny:.  the  clieerinfT  sij:ht  of  a  transparent  body  of  water  burst  ujxin  our 
view.     It  was  Itasca  lake,  the  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

Glazier's  "Down  the  Great  Blver."  188T.  p.  71. 

Every  paddle  stroke  st;emed  to  lucrea.se  the  ardor  with  which  wi-  were  carried 
forward.  The  desire  to  see  the  actual  source  of  a  river  so  celebrated  as  the  Missis- 
sippi, whose  mouth  had  been  reached  nearly  two  centuries  before,  was,  doubtless, 
the  impelling  motive.  *  *  *  What  had  lontt  lieensougth  at  last  appeared  sud- 
denly. On  pulling  an  i  pusliin;.;  our  way  througli  a  network  of  rushes  similar  to  the 
one  cncounteri'd  on  leaviii}:  Itasca,  the  cheering  sight  of  a  transparent  body  of 
water  burst  upon  our  view.  It  was  a  beautiful  lake,  the  source  of  the  Father  of 
Waters. 


"Schoolcraft's  Narrative,"  1834.  p.  58. 

The  height  of  this  lake  alxjve  the  sea  is  an  objectof  geographical  interest,  whicli 
in  the  absence  of  actual  survey  it  may  subserve  the  purposes  of  useful  Inquiry 
to  estimate.  From  notes  taken  on  the  ascent  it  cannot  be  short  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  al)ove  O  >ss  lake.  Adding  the  estimate  of  1.330  feet  submitted  in  1820, 
as  the  elevation  of  that  laice.  the  Mississippi  may  be  considered  to  originate  at  an 


i20L*  TIIK    MISSISSII'I'I    UIVKU    AND    ITS    SOUHCK, 

would  s«MMn  jinuh'rit  t<i  b<'liov«>  that  no  stutomont  mad*'  l).v 
Mr.  (ilu/ior  can  in  :iny  way  bo  coiisidrrod  ndiabU',  and  a 
cloud  is  thrown  about  his  claims,  by  his  plagiarism,  which, 
in  the  several  staK<*s  of  his  writings,  have  passt'd  fvoiu  un- 
deserved credit  to  doubt,   ami  then  to  disrepute. 

Those  facts  are  not  considc^red  oth<M-  than  as  a  criterion 
ujwn  which  to  base  a  ccimparison  of  <haracter,  for  certainly 

iilllludfiif  l.t'.tii.  sii.v  loVKifcfliilMivi-  lilt  At'.-,  iiv  !iMli!ri«lli,  asHimilii'.'  fnrinir  fliitii 
u><  III)- ti:i>lH  unit  4-<iiii|)iii  IriL:  li  Ihruiiv'  il'  .UM'siiinr  w<-<t  fnrk.  may  Im' plii<'f.'d  iti 
.'(.lim  iiiili-H. 

Olii/.lcr's    •  Down  I  In-  ilrvM  IClvt>r,"  18H7,  p  W. 

Its  lii'i.:ht  uliovf  thf  H«')i  Ih  III!  «>I).1<T|  of  L'i'oKriiplilcsil  liilfn^sl,  w  lilcli  In  tlic  ;ili- 
-.(•iiff  of  ai'luiil  Mirvcy.  II  iniiy  siili-^rrvr  till-  piirposrM  iif  iisi'ful  liMinlry  to  fstiiiiiil''. 
I'Viiiii  notes  liiUcii  iliirlii;^  till' asi't-rit.  It  ciitiiiol  Imi  Icssthaii  lliifc  fcft  iil)<)\  »•  Liikf 
Itiisrii.  Aililinu' till' est  iiiiutf  (if  1..'>T.'>  ri-t'l.  siihnilt ti-il  liy  Si-hiiiil(Tii.rt  in  IKI'J,  as  t Id- 
i-li'vatliin  of  that  lake,  tlif  Mississippi  may  li*-  said  to  orli^'lnali- In  an  altitudi.- of 
1,57H  fi'ct  iiliovi' the  At  lanlii- <H-can.  Taklii'-'  foi  nii-r  i-sl  inialcs  as  tin- liasK  and  com- 
pulliiu  tlituii  lliroii!:li  its  wosturii  fork,  its  ii-ii:;tli  may  Ix'  pluoed  iit  :i.|stnilles. 


•'Si'liooUTuffs  Narratlvi',"  1834,  p.  .V.). 

Ilsiii'i;;in  in  tlir  ii'mioI*'  and  iinfn'<m<Miifd  aira  of  i-oiintry  botweun  L('(m:Ii  lake 
and  Ut'd  rivi'i',  prohaldy  an  I'lil  ire  dt'trcf  of  lal  itiidi;  soiilli  of  Turtle  lake,  wlilcli 
still  IIkui-cs  on  son  M'  of  t  lie  maps  as  its  sniiirr,  t  liiows  Ixilli  tlie  folks  of  tliis  --t  rcani 
out  of  till'  usual  route  of  the  fur  I  rade.  and  f urn i'-iies.  perhaps,  the  l»esl  reason  why 
Its  actual  soiirees  have  remained  so  Ion;;  etiveloped  in  oltseurlty. 

Glazier's  "Down  the  (ireut  Itiver,"  1H«7.  p.  Tti. 

The  ori^tin  of  the  river  In  an  untraveled  and  secluded  rejiioti, between  Leeeb  lake 
aiidlheUed  rivi^rorihe  North,  not  less  than  adeiiiee  of  lal  Itude  soiitli  of  Turtle 
lake,  which  was  for  a  lonjj  time  supposed  to  lie  tin;  source,  remoM's  Itolh  forks 
of  the  stream  outside  the  usiia!  Iriick  of  the  fur-traders,  and  presents  -.t  <:uihI  rea- 
sion.perliiips,  why  it--  fountain  liead  lias  remained  so  Ion;;  enveloped  in  uncertainty. 


"Schoolcraft's  Narrative"  IXU.  pp.  HO-HI. 

I  went  to  Ills   residence  at  the   proper  time  a impai.a-d   by   Mr.   .loliition       I 

found  him  living  in  a  <'omfortalile  lo^  buildini;  of  two  riHinis  well  tloored  and 
••<iofed,  with  a  couple  of  small  ^lass  windows.  «  ♦  t  There  was  nootlur 
person  admit  ted  to  tile  meal,  but  his  wifi;  wbosatnear  him  and  poured  out  the 
tea,  l)Ut  ale  or  drank  not  liiii';  herself. 

Tea  cups  and  teaspoons,  plates,  knives  arid  forksof  plain  manufacturo.  were 
can^fuUy  arian;;ed,  and  tlie  number  (Corresponded  exactly  with  the  exjiected 
^{uest.s.  A  white  li>h  cut  up  and  broiled  in  Kood  t;iste,  (x'cupled  a  dish  In  the  center 
from  which  he  helped  us,  A  salt  cellar  in  which  pepper  and  salt  were  mixed  In  un- 
equal portions  allowed  each  the  prlvil(!i{e  of  season  infr  bis  fish  with  both  orneither. 
Our  tea  was  sweetened  wit li  the  native  su;;ar  and  the  dish  of  hard  liread  seemed 
to  hsive  been  precisely  wanted  to  make  out  the  repast. 

Ola/ler's  "Dowti  the  (ireat  Ulver."  IsMT,  pp.  4:{-44. 

I  went  to  his  residence  at  the  appointed  hour  Jiccompanied  by  my  brother.  I 
round  him  llvini;  in  a  (!omfortable  Ion  house  of  two  rooms,  well  Itoored  and   riwifed' 


TIIK     CI.A/IKU    I'lASCO.  208 

• 

.'Mjr  ^«;o^ia|)hic  history  should  tiol  bo  const  ructi-il  rroiiioth*'!* 
than  ri'liuhlo  (hitii.  und  th:it   construction  can  only  be  prcdi 
cut«'d  upon  tho  ndiability  and  cjianiclcrof  the  men  who  have 
horctofoic  jfivcn  cause  loi'  researches  concerning  discoveries 
—now  consi<iered. 

with  a  I'oiiplf  of  sinttll  (tIhhs  windows,    A  pluln  iHiuril  liililc  HtiNMl  In  tlin  oontr<>(if 

iliii  friitii  riMiiii  ii|iiiii  whii'li  till-  illiiriiT  \VH'<  spri'iiil,  •  •  •  'I'lic  wiff  nf 
l-'liil  Miiiitli  Mil  iiri  Ills  li'ft  iitiil  wulti'il  u|iiiii  liltii  iitiil  tliostt  wliDtii  III'  liiiil  iiivllcd. 
Tea  iMips  mill  tcuMpiHiiiH  of  pluln  iiiitiiilf.'ii'liiiit  wen*  i-aii'tiilly  iiri-itii;;i'il.  tlio  iiiiiii- 
liiT  rDrri'HpiiiiiliiiLC  i-Mn'tly  Willi  tli.  <-\pi-i-li'(l  kiH'sIn.  A  lurui!  <li>li  of  liasH  iiiiil 
whltt!  (IhIi  rill  up  !in<l  liri>lli'<i  III  );ihm|  liinli>  wiih  plai-rd  In  tlio  fi'iilcr  of  IIik  lulilf 
frnni  wlilrli  wr  wi-n-  .i-rvfil.  A  lilii-h  Imik  suit  ri-llar  In  w  lilrli  prppi-r  iiiid  miII  wcih 
tiilxiMJ  In  iinfi|iia|  priipnriliiii  iillnwrd  riii-li  llir  prlvIL'^i-  of  si'iimhiiIiil'  IiK  li»li  wlili 
liiitli  iir  <llsp)'iislii){  Willi  It  iiliu'.'i't  iiiT.  ( iiir  ii-'i  wiis  swi'i'tcni-d  with  iimiili'  ^4lli(lll', 
A  (ll>li  iiT  liliif  livri  li'N  pJi'Ui'il  ■III  t  III'  •'liiiri'  nf  llii-  lukr  I'lUiiplcti'd  I  In'  iIIiiiht, 

"Hidioolcrtiffs  Narriillvi'."  |s.'t(.  p.  Ml. 

Tills  rlili-r  l>ri>iii.'lit  iiir  !i  li'i  ii  r  frotii  I  lif  Interior,  sonif  yrars  iiiro  iit  SI .  Mary's,  In 
whii-h  III!  Is  spoki'ii  of  iis  "till-  most.  ri-Hpi'i'liihln  man  In  the  Cliippi'wa  (Miiiilry.' 
Anil  If  till-  toriii  was  applii'd  to  his  menial  i|ii,'Llit  It'-,  and  I  In-  power  of  ilraw  lim  Just 
ronrluslons  from  known  premises,  itnd  tlie  olVrrtH  which  these  liave  had  on  his 
slitndliiK  Hiid  Inlluenei)  with  his  own  hand,  it  In  not  misapplied.  Shrewdness  aiul 
•lulekiu'ss  most  of  till!  chiefs  possess,  hut  there  Is  more  of  the  eharacier  of  i-ommon 
senses  and  practical  relied  ion  In  the Oiielle  Plat's  remarks  than,  with  a  very  exten- 
■•ive  a<'i|ualnlanci'.  I  ri'i-ollect  to  haxe  riutli'iil  in  most  of  the  i-hlefs  now  livjriKof 
ihlstrlhe. 

<;la/.ler's  ••  howii  tlielireat  Kiver."  |ss7,  p.  44 

I  was  much  ;;ratltied  on  this  occasion  l»y  the  presence  of  White  Cloud, whom  I  had 
rrei|iienlly  heon  told  was  the  most  respectahle  man  in  the  ('hlppewa  country,  and 
If  tlio  term  has  reference  to  his  in'ellei-tiial  f.'u'iiltles,  and  tlm  power  of  reachlni; 
correct  diduclions  from  known  pri-ml>es.  anil  tlit;  etlect  which  these  have  had  on 
his  slandhi;;  and  inlluence  with  hisown  trilie.  it  is  not  misplaced,  .shrewdness  and 
ijiilckiiess  of  percept  i'ln  mu>l  of  I  In-  cliief'^  possess,  hut  t  here  is  more  of  I  he  charac- 
ter of  Common  sense  and  practical  rctieclion  in  vVlilte  Cloud's  ri'iiiarks  than  I 
re  mem  her  to  have  not  iced  in  an.v  of  the  chiefs  of  my  aci|uaintance. 


"Schoolcraft's  Narrative,"  ls;i4,  p.  Xl 


.-senooicraii.  s  warraiive,     is.w,  p.  :>.i. 
navlii);    followed    out  this  1. ranch  of  tlie    Mississippi   to   Its  source,   it  may   he 
ohserved  that  Its  existence  as  a  separate  river,  has  hitlierto  heeii  unknown  In  our 
ireojrraphy .     None  of  the  majis  Indicate  the  ultimate  separat  Ion  of  the    .Mississippi 
ahove  Cass  lake  into  two  forks. 

Glazier's  ••T)owii  thetJreal  l{lv(;r."  IssT.  p]j.  OO  .-ind  i^l. 

IlaviiiK  ascended  this  fork  of  the  Mississippi  to  Its  source.  It  may  lie  noted  that  It 
has  not  as  yet  liet,n;;lveu  a  jilace  as  a  separate  river  In  our  !feo;fraphy.  None  of 
the  maps*  indicate  the  ultimate  separation  of  the  Mlssissipjii  aliovf  I^ake  tteniidji 
Into  two  forks. 

•  (N.  H.:  Hee  Schoolcraft's  nia|i,  IKili;  also  Lieut.  Allen's  map,  IKi:,';  Nli-ollet's  iiiai>. 
IXtfJ;  the  government,  survi-ys.  and  all  the  St.ate  maps  of  Minnesuta.  each  of  which 
shows  the  two  hrjinchesof  the  Mississippi.— I.  V.  H.l 


L*04 


TIIK    MISSISSIIMM    UIVKK    AM>    IIS   SOL'lUK. 


A  UKMAHKAIUJ-:  CI.IMATK. 

()l)s«M'vuti()ns  on  the  kouhmss  of  tlu*  Mississippi  i-ixcr.  ir(>iii 
Sclioolci-affs  ••Summary  Nurrutiv*'."  Ih;{4.  p.  4l';{. 


July  K... 

••  IH... 

•  ll»  .. 

■•  •:».... 

•'  ai  ... 

••  -a... 

•  'M... 

••  24  ... 

••  35... 

••  -M.... 

•'  «■.... 

••  '-•H..., 

•  29... 
••  :«)... 

•  ai... 

Aut?.   1.... 


a    9 

<    < 

us         to 


61 

no 


Til 


'.0 

7* 


NU 
70 


Mil   m 
sa'   fs 

H7  HO 
H» 
Nl 
(Ml 
7« 
74 
7» 

HI 
Ki 


71» 

U 
.W 
75 

HT. 
77 
7H 

7H 

74 
61 

w; 

61 
M 


711 


a. 


7H  Mornliiu  Mtii>.    lien  fiiir. 

»» l-'iiir 

...  Ni|{)il  riilriy.  inurnliii:  fli>ii<l>  .  thi'ti  fall. 

'^*\ 

...Cloudy,  MHiic  tlmiiiiir 

.  ..'NlKlit  unci  iiioriiliiKrMiu.  iiftcriiiHui  iliMnilcr. 

...I  Fill  r. 

...iKtilr. 

. . .  :Mi>rnliK'  riilr.uvciiliiKi'loiicly  hmiI  imIh.  i-liNir. 

....MoriiiiiK  fiilr.  fVfiilii;{  fiilr. 

...  MoriiliiK  full-,  ruin  In  uftcrnocin. 

.     Icifiir 

til  Wind  N    W..  w((itli»»ri-|«.ur. 

lilt  Wind  \V,,  wcntlitT  t'li'ur. 

...Full. 


•)....|....iFi»lr. 


*Broku  InHiruiuunt 


Metoorolo^iciil  obsorviitions  at  tho  headwaters  of  the  Miss- 
issippi, from  Ghiziers  account  "Am.  Met.  Journal,"  1H84, 
p.  a2H. 


The  platjiarisra  is  so  apparent,  that  consideration  .'A^aileth 
and  further  comment  is  deemed  unnecessary;  the 


nothing, 


Tin:   <:la/,ii:u  imasco.  L'0;» 

<luutations.    th()U*;li  limit«'(i  in   iiuiiil)«>i-,   l)<>ui'in^  witnoss  \o 
facts  as  tlu'.v  hav»j  hoeu  foiirul  to  oxist. 

Notwithstaiulin^  lh«'S<5  cymclnsivt'  Uutia  wliirh  havo  com*' 
t<)  li;^ht  conct'rnin^r  Klk  lake  its  discovery  and  incasuro  of 
importance,  the  (Jla/iiT  absurdity  is  persisted  in.  but  its 
fraudulent  cliaract«'r  lias  tinally  hecoinf  well  understood  '. 

Mr.  (jila/iei-  was  cliaf'fed  •'  with   t'alsil'yinj^   the   i-ccord  of 
discovorios  at  the  source  of  liie  Mississippi,    for  selflauda 
tion  and  pecuniary  j,Min.  to  such  an  e.\tent.  that,  if  not  true, 
the  charj^e  was  a  lihrl,  yot  \w  has  remained  silmt  in  the  jiros- 
ence  of  a  remedial  otfer,  if  he  were  wron^'fuUy  accused. 


1      In  Vol.   VII,  p.  .Va.  .Ih^Mh  Wliisnr'^  NurriUlvr  un.M  tiiiial  UNinrv  of  Ni.nli 
AiiU'i'ii-)!.  Is  kIvcii  (III-  fiillowliiK: 

'••Still  furtliiT  (ict!iJl<'<l  <'\llrl.llllltllln^•Ils  tiiii<l('(l><S.'i-ri<l  and  IST.VTB)  by  tli<'eiixiiii>i-rs 
of  the  Ijiillfd  SItilfs  hiUi' siiiv.-v  uiiil  .Surveyor  (it'iu'iiil  of  Mliii:i",ot;i  ^lioxv  lliai. 
the  pi'liK'ipiil  fi'i'ilcr  hroiiilcii-i  into  a  mimiiII  laktt.  callfil  KIk  luki'.  and  It  N  t IiIh  lake 
that  Capt,  Willard  tila/Ur  vNltcd  at  a  latfi  day  iISm!  i  and  flaltnxto  liavr  tirst 
tllseovered  iti  It  tlio  soiirco  of  llic  .Mississippi.'  {lliiiinl  Heim.  Sm,  I'mr.  .Ian.  IHh.'i). 
The  claim  Is  oonsldt'ti'«l  auchn^lous." 

Mr.  Wliisor's  autlioillyls  in   <'iTor  coin-ornlii;.'  the  principal  fft'ilcr.whii'h  dors 
not  fall  Into  KIk  lake.  Inil  tliroui.'li  Mc(dli>t'>  lakes  to  Itasca  lake  and  tht;  (inlf. 

From  the  I'liiciiUiiiux  of  iln'   Koyal  tifoirriiphlcal  Society   foe  Drloher.  Isyl.  ijie 
folhiwlnj:  extract  is  nuoled: 

•'•*••     It  would  .>ceni   lliat  Captain  (ila/lcr  vvii.s   premalure  in  arrlvitn;  at 

the  conclusion  tlial    lie  was  the   real   discoxeier  of  ilie   sourt f  llie  Mississipi) 

and  that,  as  a   facl.tlie   map  ln'  prepared   does  not  show  the  snun-o  of  that   '.M-'at. 


1-1 V  IT. 


AN  Ki'KN  i.i:!Ti;u. 


•_'  St.   I'All..  Dec.  •,n.'nd,  IKSS. 

To  Willard  Ohi/U'r.  .Sir:  Vo'i  liave  pul)lislied  i<>  tho  world  that  onorulxiut 
the  ;.'','nd  tlay  of  .Inly.  A.  I).,  ISHI.  you  maile  the  original  discovery  of  the  true  sou  ree 
o."  tht^  .Mississippi  ri\er  Nimi  have  dcsi^'iialed  tliat  sou  ree  and  Iiialled  and  ptili- 
lished  the  same  as  l)eiu;i  Kllv  lake.  .Minnesota  Vou  have,  for  self-laudation,  pub- 
lished to  the  world  a  false  iiia|i  of  said  lake  and  source,  de>li:uatln'_'  the  same  as 
■  Lak(!  <ila/.ier."  Vou  have  fal>ely,  anJ  with  sluimeful  erroneousncss.  endeavored 
to  appi-opriale  to  yourself  the  honor  and  fanie  .lustly  due  o  hi'r  and  more  dislin- 
(luished  jientlemen  who  preceded  you  in  the  Jiccurate  und  conscientious  diacovery 
of  the  .soun-eof  said  river.  Vou  haveendeavored  tothlsend  to  wron^'ly  and  falsely 
jiorvert  the  correct  history  of  the  discovery  of  the  true  .source  of  said  river  f(»r  pur- 
poses of  self-laudal  ion  anil  p"rsoiuil  uain.  I  ch.illiMiL'e  the  corri'ctness  of  your 
assumptions  in  that  behalf,  and  lor  the  puri)Ose  of  testititr  the  ;retiuineness  of  your 
claims  relativi>  to  said  lake,  source  and  river.  I  admit  in  case  my  above  statements 
are  touud  to  be  fsilsc  by  the  proper  judicial  tribunal,  that  I  am  iiulehteil  to  you  in 
any  sum  found  liy  an  impartial  court  and  jury.  I  now  demand  as  a  proper  testof 
the  (luestlou  of  discovery,  that   you   lile  your  bill  of  complaint   a;:alust  tneintho 


-0<5  'llll.    MISSISSII'I'I    UIV'I.K    AM)    IIS    SMl'UiJK, 

Tin-  falsiiic;iii<»(i  of  tlm  stilt,*!  im;i|)  <>r  Mimn^sotJt,  hy  tli«js«! 
iiH'uns.  Iii-r;iiiic  so  iiotofioiis  lli.il  llif  ^ovaruov  of  Miniuisotu 
i'('<)U(fsl('(l  :i  ri'poi'l'  I'lojii  its  sljiif  pitrk  <'oiiiiriissioii<'i",  on  llif 
:i|)|)lic:it.ioii  of  riUztMis.  cocniclijij^^  tin*  <m  roivs. 

Tlif  ( voii^'i-.  s  Intju'n.'itioiiiil  ;it  Itcini-,  on  tin-  iL'lli  fjf  An^' 
iisl,  l>i'.)l.  upon  ;i  considi'fution  oj  ;i  puiHT-  )»r«'|>iir<'«l  l<y  Mr. 
CifDv^i'  ('.  Hiiilliii:  Mild  pifM'iiti'il  Ijy  Mr.  l''ran«-is  A.  Stout, 
n«sp<'(ttiv«'ly.  Iil)r;iiiaii  und  \  i<<'  |tr<'si(l<*nt  of  thf  Anmrican 
(i<'o^Taplii(iil  Socii'ly.  appoiiit.<!(l  Sii-  (it-rii-^f  Uovvjjm,  Maj. 
I'cjst,  IJ.  S.  A  .  Messrs.  Napoh'-on  Nry.  A.  di- <  !laj»an'<l<' and 
K.  V.  ll<'ss«'-VV^iil<!^;4'.  a  rouiinittiM-  ol  tin-  ( !oiij^r<'s,  upon  a 
I't'port  of  \vhi(di.  Au«rusl  i;;ili.  the  <laiin  of  Mr.  (ila/i«!i'  was 
d(!(;lar<!d  without  foundation,  and  an  award  of  ori^'inal  dis- 
covery in  favor  of  S(-liooi<:i-aft,  lji*Mit-<'nant  AII<mj  an<l  NicoJ- 
It't,  wa.s  accorded  unanimously. 

D(!linite  a(dion.  of  tliis  naliiif,  secnis  not  to  liavB  lessenMd 
tli(!  ardoi",    ni>r  tliwarUid   tlie   purpostis  of  Mr.   (Jlazi'f,  fcjr 

IJtilUfd  htal«!S  Clr<*ult  (joiirtfur  Ihi!  I>lHt  rict  of  Mliiric'>-'>l.i  Em.,  pitwy  U>Ustvi: 
iiiilllllii  Ih-<-fiiihfr  tcrtii,  IHHI),  to  pMidiii')' e\  idciirc;  rhul  lln<-:i-<-  ^liiiil  In- iKljudl- 
i'!ilf<l  liifiii'f  till!  i-iiurl  111  lii-i'i-nihiT,  Iww»,  or  iis  ^Moii  I  lii-iiuf  Ici' ii-i  i-ouiimcI  citii  Iji: 
li<;iii'<i,  mill  Mm  L  tin-  cimlci'iit-'iii'il  will  ultiM-  no  ti'()iiii<-iil  ohjii'i  ioni  to  yoiir«uil.  liiiL 
tliiil,  l.lii;  .saiiii' hliitil  III- ti'ii-il  on  il-1  merits.  I  |iio|io-i-  anil  oll'i-r  to  piiy  any  jiidt-'- 
iiii-iil.  you  ma '■  olitatd  ii^:ninit.  nn.  ami  io  ;.'ivi' t-'ood  and  Mitlli'linl  hond  llii'iifor, 
Vou  ail-  llniM  jiuld.'c'ly  idiiii;ri-d,  to  thii  end  llialyoii  may  liavf  an  am|)leo|i|)oiiiiiiily 
to  adjudliratir  your  riKlilfiil '"lalms,  if  you  liavi:  any.  <i|- to  fori'Vir  lii-iiaflir  slanii 
liuhliely  IjiaiidiMl  as  a  false  and  fraudulent  elaimanl  of  tin  ri^^lil-  of  olIiciH.  Tin; 
emlni-iil  and  itn|tarlial  ,)uflsl*  liefoie  wlioni  llie  ca-e  liin  lie  I  lied,  warrants  the 
statoimiiit  that  an  iiniiiejudlred  and  Iniiiarl  i;il  i  iial  on  it-- merits  can  lie  hail. 

.1.  V.IIKOWKK. 

(Note!  This  elialleti^'c  lias  Ijeeii  roiie.ied  liy  audiii;^  the  word  ••orltrinal"  In  liie 
four)  h  line  afler  I  lie  word  ■tlie"  and  Immedlalc  l.v  |iieeediiiK  <  lie  word  "dlseovery.") 

•'I'hi-  emineni  jun-t  referred  l.o  is  .liidge  UreWer,  recently  elevat«'d  to  tho 
suiireiiic  liemli  of  I  he  Iniled  Slates, 

I  .See  report  entitled  'Otllciiil  Koldrr,"  "The  Soill-i-*' of  tin;  Misslssilipi  liiVHf," 
on  lile  Willi  the  lilir.irian  of  Mie  Amerii-an  Oeo;.'ra|ilii'-al  Society.  Harvard  t'ulU-.jn-, 
the  I£oyal  (ien;.'ia|i!iic!il  Society  andotlier  ;.'i-o;.'i  iiphical  societies  Ihrouizhoiit  lliii 
World. 

'i  See  <ieiii';ie  <;.  Ilurlbut's  liapei  ii|iom  |ia^'«!  II7M,  iiiilletln  of  the  Amerleaii  (ieo- 
Kraphical  .Soi'iety.  Vol.  \.\l  1 1,  and  pro.-i  eilin-'-  of  i  he  < 'nii^rrf-s  Iniernaiionai  des 
,Si;leiices(a^o;.'ra|)hliiu«s.  Aiij-'ust.  Ih'.h 


'I'MK    «;i.A/JKK    I'lASCO. 


L'07 


.niiiH'dUiU'Ay  I'olldwin^'- tli<- jution  ..I    lln'   IJ.tih'  (Um^^vs,  li.- 
ciill^'d  about  liimsiilf  a  IV'w  of  lii>   |h-isou;iI   Irionds,    two  or 


A^/r 


'IIIK   <il,A/IKK    -MAI-    Ol     18!»|. 

three  of  whom    liad  for  y<^ars   Htr<!nu(.u.sly   advof-at.-d  liis 
claims,  and  oufra^'in*/  \\m  services  of  an  oI>s<'im<-  and  r-(m- 


20H 


I  III'.    MISSISSII'IM    UI\'KK    AND    I'l  S    SOi;U<:K. 


voniont  \HtfHiiu  l.o  :ic\  iti  thi*  <::i|)acity  ol'  ;i  survf^yor,  !'n;  |»;irly 
|»rc)f,«'«*<J<'«l  to   Kll{    l.il'f,  tli4-    latlff  \nn\   oi   Aiij^iist,   I^DI,   n- 
Miuiniii^jf   <;/i<;uiii|»<Mi    then;  six   or   fijrlit    diiys,  'luring    Wiii«tlt 
tiiiK*  lli'-y  ••laiiii  to  havf  .sur\«'y«!<l  IIh-  loc.iliiy.  amJ,  r>r  rrjijcsc 
(Mj(lors<*(l  tin-  <  ila/K'f  claiiri.      I'lol  racti-d    rainstorms  ami  the 
<l«'nsit,y  ot    t.liir    l!ora    tln-ri-.   in    Aii;.ni,-,t,     I'i'.ll,    njaxic    it,  aljso 
iiit,<'ly    iiii|jossilil<'   to  accurately    survey    tin-    lor;ality   a    that 
time.      1 1    appears    that    they     reported    the    loti^ei-    slrtiaiii-. 
thero,  short;  and    the   short    streams,  the  loii;.''er;  in   order  to 
<tarry  oi't  their   purpose,  jorc-rlaiii  it.  is.  they  re|i<»rl.   Nicol 
let's  Infant,  MiKsishippi  seveial  thou-,aiiil  leet  shorter  than  it 
r<;ally  is,  and  attempted  to  broaden  out  iIm-  lOik  lal<e  locality 
loan     uidue    proportion.    pla;<iari/.in;r    N  icolUjt'.s  report    by 
purloining'    tlie   name     inlant    Mississippi."'    which    they    at 
tempted  l.<»  attach  i'>   </'hamt>ers  creek,  conspicuously   i^jkm' 
in^  other   ini|»oilant    hydro^raphic   cr>nditions.      Upon  tln-ir 
retuin.  the  iWd  ol  Sejjtemher.  a  map  of   their  operal  ii*n,'^  \va> 
published. 

Mr    <ila/jei'   and    his    pe^'sonal    Ifiends    w<!re    the    ni)vin;r 
spirit  in  'his  last  j.'eoj/raphic.  farce. 

Two    or    threi:     members    of    the     party'.    h'*we\e)       ha\'e 

1       Mi      lliiil.>    IC.  C(,l(lj,  In  :i  i<-l  l.ii  i|;ilirl  Si|,i  ri(ilji-t   II I  li,  IH!(1  M:iy>. : 

"  Wlilli-  I  1  n  |i<v  fi|  Dili  \  i-ry  |ili;i^;ijil    ■iDiiiiuiiliwi'ili  i|i  <i(   I  In;   <»]a/i"'f  liiirly,  nil  l)ii- 

<(l(Mitv:ill'ifi,"!  wlili-li  Dur  l.rli-f  l.iiiu'  iiltuwiil  ii-^  li(  iii.iUi-  only  i-wlirm.  il  (In-  .i"'!-!!!:!!", 

■  •r.l.  V    Hrowir'^1  worU  In  tliiil,  n-Klun." 

Mr.  <  ■,  l>,  Oul,ll:iK.   wlio  !t>-i-'>niit;inl<'il   lln  <<l:t/.|i-i  piiily,  i!ty,i  nn'lir  lial.i;  of  .••«|>l  . 

nil,  imu  . 

"  I  tiJiM- ri;<M;ntly  vlhlii-d  Liiki-  lUiiiist  ami  |-.lk  litkt;  :in<l  I  Im- lin;.'i;«l  ;iiift  |riri;<c>il 
hU'*;iiiii  i-nliirlii^r  L.'iUi-  ll!i>i"i  |.->  l,li<-  hI.mjiiii  ••iilli-il  NIi'dIIiI  ii<i:li   " 

.Mr.  .1.  <:,  «;iiiiiit  iiikIi  T  <litli;  «f  Hifpl,.  '.iiaii,  |-,'.j|.  iKlmllr.  Ill":  i-.jijicln"  i>,  of  .)  V 
Hr<)w<i'«  I><M:l11<'<I  ll,v<lii)>:r.i|(lii'-  CUuii  iti  fullnw-^: 

•'I  will -i;iy  IliitI,  lln' lii:»|>  ^i!iil  nil-,  K  .-in  iMCfUi-ol  dm't.  'I'ln- I>><';lI  Ion  of  llii;  lalit-i 
I  l>clli\  r  !tii- ••oriri't,  unil  I  i<!i' no  r<-:ir»on  nn  yi-l  Iti  lliltilt   olliirwNi-," 

Aiiotlii:!' iiKriiilji'i  of  I  III'  {>;iily  wroli': 

" 'I'lm  only  olliii  lni|(Oi  litiil  fii-<li:r  of  h:tUi-  Ilii-5i-iilh  .Nl'-ollcl,  <:iii  |i  wlilirli  irnu  it 
itiiM-:i  ahout.  SI  <)ijsirli'i  of  a  liiUn  wi;«l  uf  lh<!  oijt.lft  of  llii-  <tii-1'  from  KII<  liik  ■. 
'i'liU  wiiH<!iin!fcilly  cuiilori'il  itlKl  rni-UMirml  from  nioiiOi  lo  hoiuri';  ni-:ii'  Iti  niont'i 
11, 1'jiirli-  Jilimil  iwlcfllii-  voliiMH- ijf  walj-r  wlil<-li  liavi-  I  In- <ilii/.lrj  laki;." 


'I'lIK    (.l,A/.l).K    I   lAsru. 


L'O!) 


.'ulmif.l...J  Uiaf,  tl...  NmoIIh  sln..t,n  w.-t.  Iou.mI  ,„  I,..  .1...  Ur;,^.,- 
Jiful  lon;<«!f. 

Mr.(;yru.s(;.  Adams,  as  U..-.,,!,!.,,- .,1' (;o|.JU,wuif.,s  (i.-o-ra 
lihical  Ma^'azin..,  l,a,  '•o.isj.iniou.sly  an<i  ably  ..xposod  >  n,.- 
pn^UrnHionh  of  this  last.  disfr,rIio,.  of  ;,M.o^.ra,,hi.al  Uu-Xh,  Uy 
UiiH  SO  (;alN.(i  Hcjunul  <:U,/.\i-r  ,-x\H'.il\lU,t,  of  1H!H. 

ItMMMns  an  .-vil  l,o  biinl.-n  a  n-rxm]  with  a  sul>  divisi.>:,  ol 
thisnutunt,  UulHhr-..  Um.  fa.:l,san.  to  Ix-staU-d,  Un-y  hav-  f,...,. 
j,'.v<jn,  inasshortas,,;uM5aspossil>N,.,.,„v..ni..nt  lor.-,  pro,..-,- 
'UMlorsUndin^'  of  .J*.:..pf.iv..  pra.,tir.,s,  whiH,,  loo  .-asily 
'.J,Uin.,d  n,rtoKni1io,i  in  ^'.-o-raphiral  qnarf.Ts,  wImt-  t^.th'.,- 
ll.in^'H  mi;.hf,  w.ll  (,..  ...xp..H..<|,  in  Kurop.  as  wHI  as  in 
Afij<;ri<;a. 

'»  '-annof  b.>  .-lain,.-.],  will,  any  .J<.^m-...  „f  v.-rarily  t,h;,l 
■•".y  lurUM.rorn.on-  ..xK-n.!..,]  ni.-asnr.Mn.nfs  wmv  mad..  Uy 
Mr  (;ia/,..ran.]  Ins  ,s..|.-.l..d  Iri.-nds,  in  IHU\.  t.han  an.  shown 
••"  l"s  n.ap,  h..n.wilh  ^iv.m,  a:,  it  was  publislM-d  S.-pUmih.-r 
•'•"'•  "'"•'•-•".  It  h.-  surcM-Hsfnlly  d.-ni.-.l,  l|..-.,  ,ho...  n-.-asun,- 
nutnt.s  :u-*'.  /'i/hr  i,ii<n. 

'J'h.wiiap,  as  may  t>„  n-:i.|i|y  n,>lir..,l.  is  wortl.l-ss.  as,-, 
huhis  \i,v  i-(,n-^'(:\.  ijjformalion. 

Of  iUi'.  man  whr,  iuts  rovr.j.-d  in  sm;h  dislM,n.,rah|..  pnu- 
ticxjK,  what  mon-  n..,-,]  !>..  sai.i.  imluss     J«/'»./«  ,„l  l,,mm. 

I    I'.  710.  V.l.lJ      0.-i,i,hwa.,o',,<J.«,Krai,i,l..d  MuKu/ln...  .V.,v..,.,l...,.  1h,„. 


14 


sri;-i)ivisi(>.\   t\m;.\tv-si<:(()M). 


IMONKKIi  SI'/I'TI.KMKN'r  AT   I'l  ASCA    f.AKK:    I'KTKL' 

'ri;ii.\i{i:ij.  and  i-'amily;  'riiK  skcomj  (jomin*; 
OK  (;iviLi/j';i>  (>('('i'i'A.\(!v. 


Mr  I'i'iiM-  'l'uriil>iil  I  lnniiiMl  y  ;i  .siii-\  cyor  ;iii(|  civil  ••ii^irHMT 
mnU-f  Wm:  \Uii\ii\\\'  i\  ( iovi'itiiiH'iit  «>r  <';ui;i<l;i.  iii;i(l<'  the  lirst, 
iwtiuiil  pi'friiiiiit'ril,  set  I  Ifi'M'iit  :it  lt;i,sc;i  l;ik<',  with  his  r.'iiriily, 
ill  1li<-  inonlh  oF  Sf|»t<'inl><T,    \>*K',  '. 

Mr.  'I'niiil)iil  I  h;i<l  |)r<»>,|n;rl,iMl  lor  ;i  \';i\(i\-;i\Ai-  location. 
;iii(l  ,s<!'«'(!<'(l  lh<'  «!;ist  sliori' ol  tli.-  ist^t,  iiiiii  ol  th<i  l;i.k<\  :i 
siiorV  (listiiiiff  liorth  of  th<'  p'li'it  wln-r''  tl)<'  Sfhoolcr*:!  It 
Kxp<!<iit  ion  Ii.kI  i-<';i<-ln'<l  tin-  Ink*-  iin>i-f  tliiin  lilty  y«!iirs 
hi'lriff-. 

Willi  ;i  I'ovc*'  (*!'  assistjiiit^,  h<-  const  ructiij  thi-  "'ruriihuil 
••oad"  which  l<';ii|>,  rrom  Stony  lii<l;.''<-  to  lli<-c;i,st,  sh«»rc  ol' 
It,iisc;i  lake,  t,hroii;.'h  Mary  viillcy.  'I'liat  road  lias  Ix-codi'- 
the  lUJiiii  t  lirou;^lir;ir<'  to  a(i<l  Iroui  1h-^  lt.i,sc,:i  |{;i,siM. 

A  I'ost  olli<'c  was  cstablislMMl,  since  (lis«ton1  inncd,  ;im(1  in 
r:i|)i(i  succession,  dilTerent;  j)ortiotis  of  the  locality  w«;re 
marked    by    the    c;i.hins  <i\'  settlers.      .Mr.   'rnrnlniirs    I'ainily 


I  C),;iil<-y  I  . 'riiriiliiiU,  I  111-  (lr-il,  <lill(|  l)uiii  iif  wlilli-  |i:ir<'ii;.:i;.'<' (tl  IlitHcii  l;iUi- 
.Iiiiif  .M  h,  IMMI,  •,iirv  Ivirs  111*  iiiul  ln-r-,  Miiiy  .1.  TuihIjiiII  wti)illi-il  .il  ('ark  ICii|ilil'^ 
Mliiii.,   In  M:iy,    IhW.), 


ri.  I  I.I,-     II    K'\l;l    I.I.    .\  Ml    I    \  Mll.\ 


I'lONKKK    .Sl/ri'rKMKNT    AT    IIASC'A    l.\i\K.  I'll 

w«'n!  |MM'm:iii<'ii1.  r<'si<l<'nls  ii|»oti  llin  hike  >.li<ir<'  :ib(>ut.  twri 
y<!ar.s,  (Juf'in;.''  wlii<li  liim-.  loiuls  wen- f»|MMH'<l  \\intn^/;\i  i\^^^ 
I'orcsiH  lo  (lin<'i<'ril  |(»c!ililifs,  \ty  I.  N.  Mursli  and  otlusrs. 
:iii(l  till'  wiUlciiH'Ss  ;issiiiii<<|  t|i4>  :i|i|)i-;ir!iri('o  «»l  ,1  licsl  in(lir;i 
tiDiiof  adviiiicin'r  c'ivili/,ati«>ii  (>l  the  lony;  list  ol'  s<'l.tl«'r.s 
wIm)  hiiv<'  ft'SHlcd  at  i>y  ri<'ai-  tin-  soiir-fc.  Ir'oin  Mr.  'rucnbuirs 
in<',(*pt,i()ri  <»r  actual  <K-(\i\ni\iry ,  tlx-  n-coids  (*r  tin-  Land 
l)i'|ia,rlni<'nt  nl'  lln^  I'riitcd  Stat<-s,  at  Wa,sliirj;.''ton.  <<»(itain 
an  ollicial  history  '. 

It  is  propff  t,<>  sl,:it,«!  tliiit,  tli<'  chjiriictfr  <it  tlif  locality  is 
a  lori'st  and  with  its  hills  and  valleys  and  streams  it,  is  pic 
t,un!S(|ui',  and  a,  natural  wildi-mcss.  nnsnitcd  lor a^ricult-ural 
piirsuil-s,  and  as  soon  as  title  is  sccuri'd  l»y  th<  prool's  (d' 
s('l.l,lc(ncnl  arid  occupan<'.y,  the  land  is  ahaiaioncd  hy  most  of 
th«!  Kctt.lcrs  lor  nioii-  invitin;jf  homes  neaif-r  ci\ili/,it  ion. 

Mr.  Turtdiiill  reniov(Ml  to  I 'ark  liapids,  Minnesota.  wher-«; 
\\t'  wasOhaiiman  <>[  the  Uoaid  ol  ('<iiinty  ( Jommiss.oner-s  of 
Hubbard  Oounly.  His  sei'vi(;(!S,  secur:'d  in  |hh|i  uiiil«!a.n 
exatninat.ion  vv  iS  bein^  ha<l  in  the  lield.  wim'- of  inestJinabNj 
valu<!,  faithfully  and  carefully  rend<Mcd  by  the  man  who  \r.ul 
resi(l«'d  at  the  Itasca  Hasin,  and  was  willin;/  to  t<!nd«!r  the 
biirujlit.  <d  his  skilled  labor,  and  his  pefsonal  knowled;^*^  of 
liuj  locality. 

The  cabins  of  the  locality,  aw  a,  ruh'.  remain  hut  empty 
.sh<ilis,  no  Ion^'<;r  the  habitation  of  former-  owners.  TImj 
reasf»ri  for  this  is    that    the   land  is    \alNablc.  princijially  for 

I  AriioriK  IIk-  niinii'toii  -  •hLini  ImNli-in  (In-  u:i'ii''^'>f  I  li<  follow  In/ ii  n-  noliil 
from  I  lilt  I'^M'oril : 

.liitiK-H  II.  HI  lUi-.  .loliii  <;,  ICyl)',  A.  .M.  IS<Mili.ii.i.  holMi!  K.  Mi-:ii|,  K.  M.  Khftlly, 
W.  II.  Nii.vl«i,  I'.C.  Sw«!<ti<y.  C(-atl>t,  |,<)w<  ,  tiioiKo  l>  MjiikIIko.  AIIktI,  N.  TiiII, 
I''.  A.  Kril.s,  10,  Tiinli.  Alhiil  H:iinjil<i,  Siimiifl  Mi'Cliirc,  H.  M.  ItoiinluK,  Ida  Mfiy 
llliilr,  KiiK'TK^  Wllll.iiin,  Will.  II  (ir<MMi.  II.  C.  Wlliruins,  I''.  A.  V.-unli-rpool.  Win. 
McMulliii,  ,1.  II.  Mitlloon.  .htiu.s  1'jiiI.h,  Wis|.-y  (1111,  I).  H.  I'iil  lirsoii  and  T.  H. 
I'liiiK-y. 


212  THK    MISSISSI!»IM    KIVKU    AND    ITS    SOKKCK. 

its   pine   tirabor,  and  tiio   claims,  for   a  (;()iisi(l<'ratK)n,  have 
passed  to  a  non-resident  ownership. 

The  second  cornin<j:  of  civilized  occupancy  will  follow  the 
construction  <»f  railroads  to  and  beyond  the  source,  and  not 
until  then. 


Mlv'.    I|(»II.U  I.I.I,   (I,  \K-Ki;. 


siHf-itivisK.v  r\vf:\iv-(iii|.|.. 


ob't.„.:ha.s,.v,.vu,h.kwk,.,,,.,!auk-,,         "■' 

Yo'^ctrr '"'"'"" ' ""' ' "' ' '"'  ^"-' 

York  City,   thoro  occuirred  in  ihh»;   a  (Jisru^^iM. 
.ns,.ovor..H  and  ,ii«..,v„n.»  ,.,  u„,  .„„,., ,  ,„„  ^^,        ^    « 

been,    to  a   vc-y  irrcui    i.yjoMf       -i       ■  ''•>».  fi.Mi 

whi.„  a  was  suu„,  u,.,,  ,„„  „,.,:„:.:  --7"  '■■ 

Klkh.k,,.s,  was  al,„„l    Hv.  ,„il,.s    ,.l,.      ,T,  "' 

«^r.-s»  u.  ,„,,.  „,  m,.hs,„;^h;,  ■,  ';.;;■:„" -^''7' 

.■hannol  of  tl„.  .;,-„,,l,,  ,,  ,,,0  f,.„t  ,  '"'"  '">   '''" 

l<'oH..win«  ll.is  i„  a,„  „„„„  i„„„,„  .^  ^,,,^  ^  ^ 

"-.•,I,t,..    At  this  ti,„,,  M,..  Hu,.,.,..,„. „  ZX^: 


214  THE   MISSISSIPFI   RIVEK   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

up  a  careful  consideration  of  the  case  for  and  on  behalf  of 
Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor  &  Co.'  He  carefully  compared 
the  Glazier  writings  with  those  of  Schoolcraft,  publishing  an 
account  of  his  researches  in  an  K.rtra  FAucational  Beporter, 
in  October,  1886. 

The  final  announcement  in  this  publication  was  the  organ- 
ization of  The  Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor  &  Co.,  Expedition 
to  supplement  the  work  of  Nicollet  and  Edwin  S.  Hall  by  a 
careful  examination  of  the  Itasca  Basin. 

This  expedition  was  placed  in  charge  of  Mr.   Hopewell 
Clarke  who  was  connected  with  the  Land  Department  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad  and  is  now  Land  Commissioner 
for  the    St.  Paul   and    Duluth    railway  at  St.  Paul,   Min 
nesota. 

HOPEWELL  CLARKE'S  SURVEY. 

Mr.  Clarke  selected  two  assistants,  proceeded  to  Motley. 
Minnesota,  and  thence  by  team  and  stage  to  Cat  creek, 
Park  Rapids  and  to  the  south  end  of  the  east  arm  of  Itasca 
lake.  His  equipment  consisted  of  a  camping  outfit,  pocket 
sextant,  aneroid  barometer,  drainage  level,  thermometers, 
hand  level,  surveyor's  chai-n  and  compass,  levelling  rod 
and  pocket  compass. 

The  party  arrived  at  Itasca  lake  October  l^th,  1886,  and 
at  once  embarked  for  the  west  arm  without  making  any 
special  examination  of  the  Mary  creek  and  valley.  They 
camped  between  Elk  and  Itasca  lakes  and  for  five  days 
labored  incessantly  to  d'scover  the  facts  connected  with  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi.  A  critical  examination  of  the 
locality  between  Elk  and  Itasca  lakes  was  had;  Nicollet's 


1    Publishers  of    Scliool-books  at  the  City  of  Now  York,  who  had    refused  to 
Incorporate,  In  their  pnl)lications,  tliat  Elk  lake  was  the  true  .source. 


SUKVKY    OF   THE    HASIN. 


1'15 


-^  '^-# 


HOPEWELL  CLARKE'S  MAP.   18K6, 


216  THE   MISSISSIPPI   KIVEli   AND   ITS   SOUKCE. 

Infant  Mississippi  was  found  to  be  the  principal  affiuent 
and  it  was  carefully  explored  to  its  source,  which  Mr.  Clarke 
determined  to  be  at  the  Lake  in  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  34,  township  143,  range  36,  (Whipple  lake),  with  no 
connection  with  the  lakes  to  the  south.  Underground  pas- 
sages forming  artesian  springs  at  lower  levels  were  distinctly 
noted,  and  a  puzzling  search  for  Nicollet's  upper  lake, 
ended  in  the  expressed  opinion  chat  it  w^as  over  a  hill  on  the 
east  side  of  his  middle  lake,  at  a  basin  of  water  then  exist- 
ing, but  now  a  dry  bed.  The  feeders  of  Elk  lake  were 
critically  examined  and  traced  to  their  sources.  An  exami- 
nation of  Mr.  Clarke's  map  and  a  careful  purusal  of  his 
valuable  report,  impresses  the  reader  with  his  anxiety  to 
secure  and  present  nothing  but  the  facts,  and  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  the  natural  ability  and  readiness  of  percep- 
tion so  conspicuously  demonstrated  by  him  upon  this 
survey,  were  curtailed  by  the  diminutive  limit  of  five 
days  time.  Under  circumstances  of  that  kind,  it  is  not  a 
matter  of  surprise  that  he  erroneously  placed  the  summit  of 
the  Hauteurs  des  Torres  on  his  map  ixnmediately  border- 
ing the  south  end  of  Whipple  lake. 

On  December  7th,  1886.  Mr.  Clarke  made  a  detailed  report 
of  his  survey  to  Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor  &  Co.,  who  pub- 
lished it  in  pamphlet  form  ^ . 


1    In  his  report  Mr.  Clarke  says: 

"O'T  little  party  of  tlire  -  was  fully  satisflotl  that  fifty  yeu,rs  ago  Nicollet  had 
discovered  all  there  was  to  discover  of  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi,  aud  tliat  if 
he  had  lived  to  complete  his  report  on  tlie  .sources  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
North  Red  rivers  and  to  give  to  tlie  world  his  unpublished  map,  there  would  have 
been  no  cliance  for  any  Glazier  to  confuse  tlie  geographical  world  or  to  play  triclts 
upon  the  learned  societies  of  two  continents." 

This  pamphlet  is  entitled  "The  Source  of  the  Mississippi." 


SUKVKY    OF    TIIK    BASIX.  217 

The  action'^  taken  by  Ivison,  Blakeman.  Taylor  &  Co., 
ai)pears  to  have  been  for  the  purposes  of  educational  inter- 
ests and  publications. 


2  Mr.  Ifenry  Gunnctt.  VhM  Topojrraphtr.  rnito.l  States  Geological  Survey, 
11  has  been  claimed,  first  suggested  the  eousideralio.i  si  veil  t^the  question  by  this 
company.  •' 


SUB-DIVrSTOX  TWKXTV-FOnnH. 


THE  ASSISTANT  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  IN- 
STRUCTION FOR  MINNESOTA  AT  ITASCA;  HE  DE- 
SCRIBES THE  LAKE  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


In  1887,  a  public  institute  was  to  have  been  held  at  Park 
Rapids,  Minnesota,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Department  of 
Public  Instruction  for  Minnesota,  but  was  abandoned. 

Prof.  T.  H.  Kirk,  now  the  Assistant  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  InstructioD.  who  was  to  have  been  conductor  of  the 
i  istitute,  then  proceeded  to  Lake  Itasca  upon  i:  tour  of  ob- 
servation. 

In  response  to  a  request  for  detailed  information  as  to  the 
results  of  his  observations  there.  Prof.  Kirk  submitted  thf' 
following  interestingf  paper: 

"St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Dec.  iHth,  1889. 

On  the  9th  day  of  May,  1887,  I  was  at  Park  Rapids,  Hub- 
bard county,  with  a  few  days  of  leisure  at  my  disposal.  This 
fortunate  circumstance  of  time  and  place  enabled  me  to 
carry  out  a  cherished  purpose;  namely,  to  explore  Lake 
Itasca.  An  intense  interest  awakened  during  a  historic  re- 
search in  which  I  had  followed  the  movements  of  Morrison, 
Schoolcraft  and  Nicollet,  gave  zest  to  the  undertaking  i. 

1    Professor  Kiik  is  the  autlior  of  ;i  ScIkm)!  History  of  Minnosotii. 


^ -^ ■ — 


ASSISTANT    SUPKRINTKNDENT    AT     ITASt'A.  219 

I  invited  Mr.  F.  A.  Vanderpool,  andayoun<^  man  named 
Patterson  to  accompany  me.  A  span  of  horses,  a  light 
spring  wagon,  an  axe.  a  revolver,  a  Winchester  ritie,  to 
which  we  added  another  of  the  same  kind  while  in  the  woods, 
made  up  our  equipment,  mechanical  and  defensive.  A  few 
rations,  mainly  hard  bread,  constituted  our  food  supply;  for 
we  were  to  depend  for  subsistence  upon  game  and  such 
supplies  as  one  is  able  to  purchase  at  a  settler's  cabin. 

We  began  our  journey  about  noon  of  the  10th.  following 
the  single  trail  that  leads  toward  .tsca.  This  trail  extends 
over  ridges  covered  with  jack  pines,  through  tamarac 
swamps,  and  anon  over  the  stony  summits  of  the  Hautenrs 
des  Terres. 

At  Hay  creek,  a  brace  of  the  wagon  tongue  broke  and  a 
mile  farther  on  the  other.  The  tongue  itsc.f  was  soon 
pulled  out  of  the  cross  bar.  With  great  difficulty,  we 
reached  Lowe's  cabin  four  miles  farther  on  and  half  a  mile 
north  of  the  trail.  Here  we  found  Mr.  Green  who  had  come 
down  from  Lake  Itasca  to  visit  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Lowe. 
This  was  fortunate  for  us;  for  he  was  something  of  a  car- 
penter and  promised  to  repair  our  wagon,  as  well  as  he 
might  with  a  few  wood  working  tools  and  no  blacksmith  to 
aid  him. 

After  supper,  with  nothing  to  impede  us  but  our  fire  arms 
and  scant  rations,  we  pushed  on  foot  through  the  dark 
woods,  whose  silence  was  only  broken  by  such  sounds  as  the 
occasional  cry  of  a  wild  animal,  and  the  tireless  exhortation 
of  the  whip-poor-will.  Our  route  was  still  over  the  summits 
of  the  Hauteurs  des  Terres,  which  in  this  section  seem  to  be 
composed  of  little  else  than  boulders  that,  frequently  crop- 
ping out,  obstruct  the  trail.     We  made  only  five  miles  that 


tl'2i)  THK   MISSISSIPI'I    KI\  KU    AND    ITS   SOUKl.K 


night  and  lod<j<'(l  in  a  cabin  which  belonj^cd  lo  a  bachelor 
friend  of  Vanderpool.  We  accepted,  in  the  owner's  absence, 
the  mute  invitation  of  his  blankets  and  bed  of  pine  bou<;hs. 
In  the  morning,  we  breakfasted  on  boiled  rice  and  black 
coffee.     Thus  refreshed,  we  continued  our  journey. 

We  soon  crossed  the  southeast  divide  of  the  lta.sca  Basin, 
not  fa>' from  the  iron  post*  which  marks  the  northeast  corner 
of  Becker  county,  imd  a  corner  of  Beltrami  county.  From 
this  point,  our  course  was  northwest  through  a  narrow 
valley-  lying  between  fertile  ridges,  for  the  most  part 
heavily  timbered.  In  the  center  of  the  valley  is  a  chain  of 
small  but  beautiful  lakes  more  or  less  definitely  connected' 
by  water  courses.  The  last  of  the  water  courses''  empties 
into  the  southeast  arm  of  Lake  Itasca. 

My  survey  of  the  valley  was  quite  cursory;  but  the  max 
imura  volume  of  water  pouring  into  Itasca,  an  apparent  lack 

of  connection  in  the  chain,  the  possibility,  therefore,  that 
those  farthest  southeast  are  related  to  the  drainage  system 
on  the  other  side  of  the  divide  alluded  to  above,  made  it  to 
my  mind  an  interesting  ju'oblem  in  the  final  determination 
of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

We  found  Mr.  Green's  cabin  on  the  summit  of  the  hill 
which  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  extremity  of  the 
southeast  arm  of  Itasca.  A  note  tacked  to  his  door  directed 
one  to  look  for  the  key  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  cabin 
under  the  shakes,  and  was  a  sufficient  invitation  to  all,  save 
Indians  and  other  illiterates,  to  accept  his  hospitable  shelter 
and  whatever  of  good  cheer  was  to  be  found  within.     We 


1  At  Sibilant  l.ake. 

2  Mary  Valley. 

3  Mary  Creek. 


ASSISTANT    SUPEUINTKXDENT    AT     ITASCA.  221 

were  not  slow  to  accejit.  and  fur  two  days  nuid*' the  cHbin 
our  base  of  supplies. 

On  Lhe  swampy  shore  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  we  found  an 
old,  leaky  scow,  and  two  broken  paddles  which  when 
mended  served  us  for  oars.  In  this  uncertain  craft,  we 
made  the  complete  circuit  of  Lake  Itasca. 

Our  first  objective  point  was  Schoolcraft  Island  where  we 
landed  to  bail  out  and  take  observations.     We  next  visited 
the  Mississippi  where  it  leaves  the  lake,  roughly  estimating 
its  width,  depth,  and  volume  of  water,  and  observed  the  soft 
alluvial  character  of  its  bed.     We  then  pitched  our  camp  on 
the  northeast  shore.     While  we  were  here,  the   wind  rose 
and  the  white  caps  began  to  roll  in  the  lake  and  threaten  to 
end  our  explorations  for  the  day.     But  time  was  prpcious  to 
us,  so  we  carefully  ajusted  our  load  in  the  scow,  prepared 
for  swimming  in  case  of  need,   and  pushed  out.     The  .scov/ 
shipped  a  part  of  every  wave,   and  threatened  momentarily 
to  capsize,  but.  by  dint  of  bailing  and  persistent  rowing,  we 
made  the  lee  of  points  on  the  western  shore  and  tinally  that 
of  Schoolcraft  Island,  coming  out  at  length  in  .he  smoother 
waters  of  the  soathwest  arm.     We  landed  half  way  down 
the  eastern  shore,   then  at  the  mouth  of  the  outlet  of  Elk 
Lake. 

This  lake  is  only  a  few  rods  from  Itasca,  and  is  separated 
from  it  by  a  hillock  ^  which  is  the  extremity  of  a  spur 
of  the  Hauteurs  des  Terres.  The  outlet  of  the  former  lake 
winds  tortuously  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  hillock 
through  the  edge  of  a  swamp.  I  determined  to  pole  up 
this  stream.     Vanderpool  and  Patterson   both  declared  it 

1  Morrison  Hill. 


L*2L'  THb:    MISSISSllM'l    KIVKU    AM)    ITS    SOLKCK. 

impossible  to  do  this.  iMit  «ro()dniitiir«Hlly  labored  to  ]>lease 
rae.  And  labor  it  was.  as  much  lilce  crossiu*^  a  i)()rta«^e  as 
sailing.  In  most  places,  the  real  channel  was  very  narrow, 
making  it  ditticult  to  turn  the  curves,  and  .so  shal-ow  that 
two  had  to  get  out  and  drag  whih;  the  other  remained  in  the 
stern  and  pushed.  Another  dittlculty  was  to  get  under  the 
trees  that  had  fallen  across  the  stream.  I  doubt  if  a  boat, 
imless  an  Indian's  canoe  at  flood  watt'r.  over  ascended  it 
Ijofore. 

By  one  standing  at  the  summit  of  the  liilloch.  l>oth  lakes 
are  seen  near  at  hand;  and  it  lias  been  many  years,  if  ever, 
since  the  forest  trees  were  heavy  enough  to  obstruct  the 
view.  Only  a  short  distance  from  Elk  Lake,  and  separated 
from  it  by  the  spur  of  tlie  Ilautenrs  (h's  Terres,  to  wliich  tlie 
hillock  belongs,  tiows  Nicollet  Creek- where  it  debouches 
into  Itasca.  We  measured  the  volume  of  water  in  this 
stream  a  few  rods  above  the  mouth,  and  estimated  it  to  be 
five  or  six  times  greater  than  that  of  Chambers  Creek. 
Taking  these  facts  into  consideration,  together  with  the 
statement  of  Nicollet  and  others,  that  the  ultimate  .source  of 
the  creek  bearing  his  name  is  four  or  five  miles  from  Itasca, 
much  farther  indeed  than  the  ultimate  sources  of  the  Elk 
lake  inlets,  I  reached  these  conclusions: 

First,  if  mere  hydrographical  observation  is  to  determine, 
to  Nicollet  belongs  the  honor  of  having  discovered  the 
ultimate  source  of  the  Mississippi;  because  his  map  of  1836 
is  but  a  record  of  his  personal  explorations,  showing  all 
these  lakes  and  streams  in  relative  topographical  positions 
and  degree  of  importance. 

Second,  if  priority  of  judgment  is  to  determine,  then   too 

2    Nicollet's  lrif;iiit  Mississippi  river. 


ASSISTANT    SUl'HUINTKNDKNT     AT     ITASCA.  *2'2i\ 

the   honor  of  discovery  is  his;  becauso  lie  tixed   upon    tho 
source  of  the  stream  which  bears  his  name. 

Respectfully  s\ibniittecl. 

T.  H.  KIKK." 
The  examination  of  the  streams  at  Lake  Itasca,  by  Profos 
sor   Kirk,  bears   relation  to  the   source  to  such  an   extent, 
that  the  results  of  his  examination  are  i?iven  in  full. 


SUB-DTYISION  TWEXTY-FTFTH. 


THE  DEFINITE  ACTION  OF  THE  MINNESOTA  HIS- 
TORICAL SOCIETY  AS  TO  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE 
MISSISSIPPI;  REPORT  BY  GEN.  JAMES  H.  BAKSR 
ADOPTED;  APPOINTMENT  OF  A  COMMISSIONER 
ORDERED  TO  DEFINITELY  SURVEY  AND  LOCATE 
THE  SOURCE. 


The  Minnesota  Historical  Society  is  a  co-ordinate  branch 
of  the  State  govern/nent,  having  been,  by  statutory  enact- 
ment, constituted  a  State  institution,  with  its  library,  offices 
and  council  rooms  located  at  the  State  capitol.  On  the  8tli 
of  February,  1887,  this  State  institution  adopted  a  report, 
written  and  presented  by  a  committee  of  its  members,  pur 
suant  to  the  requirements  of  a  resolution  of  December  13th. 
1886,  which  reports  rendered  by  Gen.  James  H.  Baker,  ex- 
haustively presented  facts  then  known  to  exist  concerning 
the  source  of  the  Mississippi.  This  report,  which  forms 
part  1  of  vol.  VI  of  the  historical  collections,  upon  motion 
of  ex- Secretary  of  War  Alexander  Ramsey,  was  adopted. 


1  In  his  report  Gun.  Baker  says:  ••Tl.e  bold  assu.  .ption  of  tttu  man  Gluzibr  i.i 
without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  Keographical  history.  Ills  conduct  Is  a  total 
disregard  of  all  the  rules  and  dijinitiesof  a  true  scientist.  Scientinc  knowledge 
hiis  scarcely  bi'fore  been  made  the  prey  of  a  charlatan.  The  measure  of  his  as- 
tounding fraud  lia.s  not  yet  fully  penetrated  the  public  mind." 


ACTION    OF    THE    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY.  I'lT) 

Subsequently,  February  11th.  1889,  the  Historical  society 
authorized  an  accurate  survey  of  the  source  of  the  Mississ- 
ippi river,  and  for  that  purpose  issued,  under  seal,  a  commis- 
sion, directed  to  the  present  Commissioner,  requiring  an 
accurate  survey  of  Lake  Itasca  and  its  surroundings,  with 
the  view  of  determining  by  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
spot,  and  of  all  its  physical  features,  under  all  circumstances, 
what  is  the  true  and  actual  source  of  the  Mississippi  river'. 

Under  the  authority  of  this  commission  a  hydrographic 
exmination  was  conducted.  -  with  results  as  noted  in  this 
report  to  the  society.  The  council  of  the  society  took  effec- 
tive steps  to  create  and  establish  a  permanent  park  reserva 
tion  at  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  85  square  mi  es  in 
exent. 

1  A  cotimiittee  of  the  society  wiis  uppoiiited  to  confer  witli  the  (.'oinruissioner 
coiicerniug  tl<e  honor  of  a  first  discovery  and  to  desifrnate  proper  iceographical 
names. 

2  The  society,  liaviuf;  received  a  report  from  Mr.  Willard  Glazier  in  tlieforin  of 
an  unauthorized,  voluntary  uorntnunication,  conceruin;;  tiie  liydro;;rapliic  condi- 
tion of  Elk  lalce  and  nei^lihorin;;  waters,  appointed  a  committee  to  I'xaniine  tlie 
comninnication,  and  the  followinj;  rcpoit  thereon  was  adopted: 

"The  special  committee  appointed  Ijy  you  to  consider  tlie  communication  of 
('apt.  Willard  Glazier  relative  to  his  alleged  discovery  of  tlie  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  has  to  leport  as  follows; 

First— His  charts  are  hydrographic  and  topographic  misrepresentations. 

Second— His  claim  that  among  liis  assistants  were  noted  geograpliers  and  expert 
engineers  is  a  bold  fiction  apparently  devised  to  mislead  tlje  credulous. 

Third— Many  of  his  assertions  art!  willful  perversions  of  well  estaljlished  geo- 
siraphic  and  liistor'c  facts,  and  otiuTS  betray  a  gross,  and  in  th«(  liglit  of  liis  claims, 
culpable  ignorance  concerning  tlie  country  surrounding  tlie  head-waters  of  tlie 
Mississippi. 

Fourth— In  tone  Capt.  (Jlazier's  statements  are  discourteous  to  this  society  and 
its  representatives:  to  llie  faithful  living  engineers  and  explorers  wlio  preceded 
and  followed  liim.  and  a  dislionor  to  the  memory  of  Morrison,  Schoolcraft  and 
Nicollet. 

Fifth- Th'-oughout,  Capt.  Glazier,  as  on  all  other  occasions  when  he  liasdiscussed 
this  matter,  seems  to  seeic  a  cheap  notoriety,  the  only  thing  in  the  light  of  real  dis- 
covi'ries  and  explorations  tliat  is  left  to  him. 

For  the  reasons  cited,  your  committee  would  respectfully  recommenil  that  the 
communication  of  Capt.  Glazier  be  tabled  as  iu  every  sense  unworthy  of  your 
adopthm.  "T.  If.  Kiuk. 

.ToHN  U.  Sanborn, 

N.  H.    WiNCHEIiL, 

—15  Committee." 


2:21)  thf:  Mississippi  riveu  and  its  source. 

During  the  period  of  time,  when  the  controversy,  touch- 
ing the  relative  importance  of  Itasca  and  Ellc  lalces,  was  at 
its  height,  no  member  of  any  society  in  the  world  took 
greater  interest  in  the  matter,  than  J.  Fletcher  Williams,  the 
secretary  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Minnesota.  As  a  re- 
sult of  his  watchful  care,  there  has  been  deposited  with  the 
society  all  the  available  literature  and  clippings,  from  every 
clime,  having  special  reference  to  this  matter,  and  his  ser 
vices  in  creating  the  Itasca  State  park  and  securing  a  public 
grant  of  lands  from  the  government  therefor,  have  demon- 
strated his  conspicuous  interest  in  the  matter.  The  society 
as  a  body  has  continuously  depended  upon  Mr.  Williams  to 
superintend  the  care  of  whatever  it  has  done  in  the  matter  as 
a  society  and  the  corresponding  membership  of  similar 
bodies  throughout  the  world  have  found  in  him  a  preferable 
reference  for  information  and  knowledge,  always  correct  in 
statements  of  fact. 

Concerning  the  history  of  the  explorations  of  Morrison, 
Pike,  Cass,  Beltrami,  Schoolcraft  and  Nicollet,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams' accurate  knowledge  coupled  with  a  ready  memory,  is, 
in  itself,  almost  an  invaluable  reference.  It  seems  unneces- 
sary to  say  that  he  has  a  supreme  contempt  for  those  who 
have  so  persistently  misrepresented  the  historical  ana  geo- 
graphic facts  concerning  Itasca  lake  and  the  region  be 
yond  it. 


SUB-DIVISION  TWKXTY-SIXTH. 


THE  CASUAL  EXAMINATION  OF  J.  V.  BROWER 
AND  COMPANIONS;  THE  GREATER  MAN-TRAP 
BASIN:  THE  PARTY  ARRIVE  AT  ITASCA  LAKE 
AND  EXPLORE  THE  SOURCE. 


On  the  '2d  of  October,  1888,  the  writer  of  this  report  in 
company  with  Mr.  W.  A. 
Avery  1,  of  Frankfort,  In- 
diana, and  Mr.  John  Leyen- 
decker,  formerly  of  the 
Adirondack  mountains,  New 
York,  determined  to  make 
an  unostentatious  visit  to 
the  Itasca  Basin  2.  Reach- 
ing Park  Rapids.  Minne- 
sota, soon  after,  and  visit- 
ing Sand  lake  and  the 
greater  Man-Trap  basin 
with  its  flowing  stream  and 
no  visible  outlet,  a  char 
acteristic  of  the  Hauteurs 
des  Terres,  the   party  reach-  •"»nx  levexdeckeh. 

ed  the  north  end  of  Itasca  lake.    October   19th,   with  no 


1.    Rec't'iitly  deceased. 

'2.    Mr.  N.  W.  Kit-e  .ioiiied  the  piirty  in  ilie  moiitli  of  Xuvtiuber  and    roniaiiu'd 
in  camp  at  Green's  cabin  several  days. 


i:-^'  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVEK    AM>    ITS    SOUUCK. 

instruments  for  observation  more  than  a  pocket  compass, 
steel  tape  and  general  outfit  of  a  party  away  for  pleasure 
and  recreation.  The  Itasca  Basin  was  selected  as  the 
destination  of  the  party,  pursuant  to  a  detorminatior  to 
visit  the  scenes  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
Very  naturally,  the  historic  locality  bro'  *"  nemories  of 
its  discovery,  and  jealousies  and  dispute.-^  to  the  true 
source,  and.  without  the  hope  of  reward,  other  than  a 
personal  knowledge  of  facts,  the  writer  of  these  pages 
commenced  a  personal  examination  of  the  Basin  witli  no 
other  instruments  than  hereinbefore  stated,  for  personal 
satisfaction  and  information.  The  great  river  on  its 
CDurse  northwest  from  Itasca  lake  was  visited  and  founa  to 
be  an  ordinary  stream  of  no  special  i)ecularities,  with 
willow  thickets,  balsam-fir  groves,  a  range  of  hills  on  either 
side  and  the  surroundings  ordinarily  attendant  in  a  pine 
region.  Fire  had  mjiterially  destroyed  the  growth  of  pines 
and  many  hills  were  nude;  underbrush,  old  fallen  and  burnt 
timber,  and  a  general  air  of  an  uninhabited  wilderness  pre- 
vailed. Next  was  visited  in  a  comfortable  boat,  Schoolcraft 
island  and  the  east  arm  of  the  lake;  camp  was  then  moved  to 
the  south  end  of  the  east  arm;  the  west  arm  was  visited. 
Elk  lake  and  its  creek,  the  Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi  and 
lakes,  Whipple  lake,  and  the  creek  running  north  from  it; 
Boutwell  creek,  the  dense  forest  south  of  Elk  lake  and  its 
creeks;  Mary  valley  and  its  creeks  and  lakes;  the  numerous 
springs  of  tl  e  Basin,  the  surrounding  hills — and  every  day 
from  October  19th  until  November  17th.  1888.  some  portion 
of  the  Basin  was  examined  in  a  casual  way,  until  a  very 
good  general  idea  of  the  more  prominent  features  of  the 
locality  was  gained      Running  water  was  accurately  meas- 


A     CASl-Af,     EXAMINATION. 


!'''*.• 


(omI^    /fni 


u 


^/V  ,v\-5 


•r.  V.  i:r(.\vki{-s  sket(  ii  map  ok  itasc  a  lake,  lj<88. 


2S0  THK    MISSISSIPPI    lilVEK    AND    ITS    SOUKCE. 

iireil  and  its  tlowagc  timfd  and  th<'  i)repondorance  of  Nicol- 
let's Infant  Mississippi  over  all  the  other  streams  at  that 
time,  ascertained  beyond  any  doubt'  on  the  part  of  those 
present.  A  detailed  memorandum  of  these  explorations 
was  noted  down  from  day  to  day,  and  on  the  17th  of 
November,  1888.  the  party  broke  camp  and  returned  to 
their  respective  homes. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Daily  Pioneer  Press,  communica- 
ting with  that  paper  from  a  distant  part  of  the  State,  mis- 
stated the  facts  of  this  visit  to  Itasca  lake,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  correct  the  errors  so  appearing  by  a  communi- 
cation to  the  columns  of  that  paper  under  date  of  December 
1st,  1888. 

With  this  communication  appeared  a  small  sketch  map. 
made  only  from  observation  in  a  casual  way,  with  no  more 
extended  measurements  than  a  careful  test  of  the  current, 
depth,  width  and  tlowage  of  the  several  streams  supplying 
Itasca  lake. 

This  map  was  re-drawn  at  Philadelphia  or  elsewhere, 
grossly  distorted,  and  in  the  latter  form,  published  by  Wil- 
lard  Glazier  as  an  argument  in  his  own  behalf,  and  the  com- 
munication was  criticised  by  individuals  having  for  an  appar- 
ent purpose  the  setting  aside,  or  rather  an  appropriation  of, 
the  honors  of  discovery  due  Wm.  Morrison,  Henry  R.  School- 
craft and  Jean  N.  Nicollet. 

An  open  letter  was  published  challenging  the  correctness 
of  Mr.  Glazier's  claims  to  original  discovery,  in  which  was 
formulated  proper  and  reasonable  avenues  for  redress,  in 
case  his  claims  were  geniiine  and  true. 

No  reply  has  been  made  to  the  challenge,  after  a  lapse  of 
several  years. 


A    CASUAL   EXAMINATION.  231 

Following  this  visit  to  Itasca  lalie,  application  in  i)(.M-son 
was  made  to  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  for  authority 
to  definitely  examine  and  survey  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river. 

The  application  was  granted  and  the  commission  issued . 

On  the  8th  day  of  March,  following,  all  arrangements  for 
an  expeditionary  examination  having  been  consummated, 
the  survey  was  proceeded  with,  partly  upon  the  frozen  sur- 
face of  the  lakes,  and  continued  after  the  rainfall  of  the 
spring  season,  and  during  the  summer  and  autumn  months, 
which  presented  opportunities  for  extended  observations 
and  measurements. 

The  results  of  this  examination,  with  a  detailed  hydro- 
graphic  chart,  were  reported  to  the  historical  society.  The 
chart  was  published  in  l»yi. 


SrB-l)TVlSI()\  TWKATV-SEVEXTH. 


THE  ITASCA  STATE  PARK;  THIRTY  FIVE  SQUARE 
MILES  OF  TERRITORY  AT  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE 
MISSISSIPPI  FOREVER  DEDICATED  TO  THE  PUB 
LIC;  A  COMMISSION    APPOINTED.    AND   A    TOPO 
GRAPHIC  SURVEY  COMPLETED;  A  FINAL  CHART. 


It  has  been  known  that  the  lake  ronrion  of  Minnesota,  a 
large  portion  of  which  is  called  the  "Park  region."  owing  to  its 
elegant  lakes,  picturesque  groves  of  timber,  forests,  fertile 
l~»rairies.  and  flowing  waters,  afforded  many  opportunities 
for  a  public  State  park,  but  no  organized  effort  for  a  State 
l)ark  seems  to  have  been  made  until  1890,  when  Mr.  Emil 
Geist,  of  St.  Paul,  submitted  to  the  State  Historical  Society 
a  suggestion  in  writing,  i  that  the  region  about  the  source 
of  the  Mississii)pi  be  secured  and  set  apart  for  that  purpose. 
It  was  also  recommended  by  Professor  N.  H.  Winchell  of 
the  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey.  The  location 
is  remote  from  and  outside  of  the  Park  region  of  the  State. 

There  seems  to  b6  some  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
first  suggestion  of  the  creation  of  the  park,  but  the  first 
definite  suggestion  that   can  be  found,  w'as  made  by  Mr. 

1  Mr.  Geist's  letter  U)  the  society,  enclosed  iin  editorial  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
.loscpli  A.  Wlieelock.  ably  advocatinjf  a  measure  of  tliat  l<iiid,  in  the  St.  Paul 
Daily  Pionorr  Press. 


(;e.\.  JOHN  n.  sANMohrx. 


THK    ITAS'A    STATE    I'AHK.  1'83 

Alfred  J.  Hill.  March  2Hth,  1HH«>.  Mr.  Hill  says  lio  dors  not 
know  that  his  suggostion  was  the  first  one  made. 

The  Historical  Society  appointed  a  committee  from  its 
council  membership,  which  leported.  and  tlu>  matter  was 
tinally  placed  in  the  charfje  of  (Jen.  John  B.  Sanborn,  as  a 
Senator,  in  the  State  legislature,  (ien.  Sanborn  introduced 
a  measure  establishing  and  creating  "The  Itasca  State 
park,"  to  be  composed  of  thirty-tive  square  miles  of  ter- 
ritory at  Itasca  lake,  to  be  forever  dedicated  to  the  public, 
and  the  measure  passed  and  became  a  law.  The  Governor, 
by  executive  appointment, '  selected  the  Commissioner  of 
the  Historical  Socie  y.  to  also  act  as  the  Commissioner  of 
the  State  park. 

One  of  the  duties  imposed  by  law  upon  the  Commissioner, 
was  the  preparation  of  a  detailed  chart  of  the  park,  and  in 
performing  the  duties  required  by  the  law,  a  special  topo- 
graphic survey  and  examination  was  made  during  the  year 
1891,   the  results  of   which    show  that    practically  all  the 


1  STATK  OF  MINNE.^OTA.     I 

EXEIUTIVE    DeI'AKTMENT.  f 

WUliaiu  It.  Mt'rrlaiii,  (iovfrnor  of  s,i  id  State,  to  .1.  V.  Browerof  Ramsey  county, 

sends  greetinj;: 

lii'poslnjf  especial  trust  and  I'onfidcnee  In  your  prudence,  integrity  and  ability. 
1  luive  appointed  you,  the  said.l.  V.  Flrower.  iis  coniniissioiicr  of  the  Ilasca  State 
park,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  tliis  State,  approved  April  20th,  1891. 

Vou  are  therefore  by  these  presents  appointed  and  Commissioned  Coniniissioner 
of  the  Itasca  State  park,  as  aforesaid,  to  have  and  to  liold  the  said  ottice.  tcgetlier 
with  all  the  rights,  powers  and  emoluments  to  the  said  office  belonging  or  by  law 
in  anywise  appertaining,  until  tli is  commission  shall  l)e  by  me  or  other  lawful 
authority  superseded  or  annulled,  or  expire  by  force  or  reason  of  any  law  of  ihls 
Slate. 

Is  Testimosv  Whereof.  I  h-ivc  iicreunto  set  my  name  and  caused  the  Great 

Seal  of  tlie  Stateof  Minnesota  to  lie  affixed  at  the  Capitol,  in  tlie  ('ity  of  St.  I'aul, 

tills  fourth  day  of  May.  in  tlie  year  of  our  Lord  one   thousand  eight  hundred 

and  ninety-one  and  of  the  State  the  tliirty-third. 

By  the  Governor, 

WILLIAM  K.  MEUKIAM. 

,,   „T      F.  P.Brown, 

^'"  '^■^  Secretary  of  State. 


234  THE   MISSISSIPPI    HIVER   AND   ITS   SOUKCE. 

lakes  and  streams  within  the  Itasca  Basin  are  included  in 
the  designated  territory. 

The  hydrographic  sur'ey-  of  1889  and  tlie  topographic 
examination  of  1891,  maie  by  the  same  Commissioner,  have 
been  combined,  from  which  has  been  prepared  a  tinal  chart ' 
of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  river,  so  far  as  the  present 
examination  is  concerned.  It  is  claimed  for  this  tinal  chart 
that  it  excels  in  correctness  of  detail  and  the  location  of 
lakes  and  streams,  elevations,  topography  and  physical 
features,  any  chart  of  the  locality  that  has  ever  been  made, 
and  it  is  herewith  reported,  with  the  complete  results  of  the 
two  surveys  combined,  so  far  as  the  same  relate  to  the  geo- 
graphical question  as  to  what  particular  waters  constitute 
the  source  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

The  Hon.  J.  N.  Castle,  member  of  Congress  from  Minne- 
sota, by  conspicuous  ability  and  tact,  has  secured  the  pas- 
sage of  a  bill  by  the  Congress,  granting  to  the  State  the  gov- 
ernment lands  situated  within  the  park  to  oe  forever  used 
for  j)ark  purposes. 


1     Set'  Detailed  Hydrographic  and  Topograpliic  eliart  of  the    Itasca  State  I'aik. 
1892.  facing  f roulespiece 


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SrB-DTVTSTOX  TWENTY-ErOHTH. 


THE  DETAILED  EXAMINATIONS  AND  SURVEYS  OF 
THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER,  CON- 
DUCTED UNDER  THE  PERSONAL  DIRECTION  AND 
SUPERVISION  OF  J.  V.  BROWER.  COMMISSIONER 


The  drainage  basin  of  the  Mississippi  river  extends  from 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  an  ultimate 
limit  above  and  beyond  Itasoa  lake.  This  great  basin,  more 
than  1,000,000  square  miles  in  extent,  is  bordered  on  the 
east  by  the  Alleghany  and  other  ranges,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  Rocky  mountains,  and  contains  about  100.000  rivers  and 
streams,  which  How  toward  and  finally  discharge  their 
waters  into  the  Mississippi,  principally  through  the  mouths 
of  the  larger  and  more  important  confluent  and  affluent 
tributary  rivers.  These  waters  are  entirely  supplied  by  the 
copious  precipitation  characteristic  of  the  fertile  basin 
drained,  from  north  to  south,  by  the  Mississippi  as  its 
principal  and  most  important  river. 

To  follow  the  proper  rule  in  ascertaining,  under  com- 
mission, the  true  and  actual  source  of  this  principal  river, 
for  geographic  purposes.  European  and  American  geo- 
graphers, scientists  and  authorities,  were  consulted  and  the 


230  THE   MISSISSII'IM    UIV'KU    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 


follo\^iii<^   varied     information  as   to  what  constituted   the 
source  of  a  river  was  gained: 

"That  the  main  stream  of  a  river   is   that  which  Hows 
along  the  lowest  depression  of  the  basin,   and  that  a  tri- 
butary which  descends  into  it  from  a  higher  elevation,  even 
if  longer,  is  not  to  be  considered  the  main  stream." 
•"A  river  cannot  have  a  source,  but  many  sources."' 
'•  A'.i  our  rivers  have  their  source  in  tlie  clouds. "- 
"  The  head  of  the  longest  continuous  channel." 
*•  The  sources  of  a  river  which  are  in  a  right  line  with  its 
mouth,  particularly  when  they  issue  from  a  cardinal  point 
and  flow  to  the  one  directly  opposite."-^ 

"The  true  source  of  a  river  is  a  jioint  at  tlie  remotest 
distance  from  its  mouth,  but  the  largest  lake  must  not  b«.' 
rejected  to  accept  one  of  less  magnitude."* 

Other  authorities,  some  remote,  and  but  a  few  reliable, 
suggest  that  the  source  must  be  a  lake;  must  be  the  largest 
lake;  should  be  the  inner  flanks  of  the  heights  of  the  land 
surrounding  it;  should  be  the  source,  because  it  was  next 
to  the  historic  pass,  by  which  one  river  had,  from  ancient 
times,  been  left  to  reach  another;  because  it  was  farthest 
from  the  mouth  of  the  system;  because  it  led  down  to  the 
axis  of  the  general  valley  of  the  basin;  '  cause  it  was  at  the 
head  of  the  stream  of  largest  volume;  because  it  w^as  geol- 
ogically oldest,  etc. 
This  widespread  variance  of  authorities,  good,   bad  and 


1  Should  this   be  t lie  proper  rule,  the  Mississippi  would  have  ;i  Imiidred  llniu>- 
iind  sources,  more  oi'  less. 

2  This   is  from  a  standard  educational  work,  given  as  a  basis  for  tlieoreticai 
deduction. 

U    The  rule  followed  by  Beltrami  in  locating  the  Julian  source. 
4     This  rule,  if  followed  strictly,  would  place  the  source  in  Winnibigoshish  lalie, 
the  largest  lake  through  which  the  main  ri',-er  passes. 


THK    COMMISSIONEK's     DETAILED    SURVEY.  l'37 


indifferent,  gave  but  liltk'  comfort,  in  an  interesting  geo- 
graphic and  historic  research,  the  source  of  no  two  princi- 
pal rivers  of  the  world  being  alike. 

The  conditions  and  peculiarities  of  the  more  important 
drainage  basins  of  the  earth,  are  so  varied  and  widely  dif- 
f«'rent,  that  geographic  terminology  in  respect  of  the  term 
•'source"  is  at  fault,  and  until  some  more  definite  and  con- 
clusive understanding  is  reached  as  to  the  term  ••source  of 
a  river"  in  geographic  science,  it  would  seem  that  thc^re  was 
a  necessity  to  follow  and  adopt  the  literal  meaning  of  the 
word,  for  this  present  time  and  occasion,  in  the  absence  of  a 
naore  explicitly  defined  propriety  and  signification.  The 
standard  authority  gives  the  meaning  of  '"source""  as  "to 
spring  forth  or  up."  "The  place  from  which  anything  pro- 
ceeds." "That  from  which  anything  rises  or  comes  forth. "" 
••Especially,  the  spring  or  fountain  from  which  a  stream  of 
water  proceeds,  or  any  collection  of  water  within  the  earth, 
or  upon  its  surface,  in  which  a  stream  originates."'  "A 
spring."  "Fountain.""  An  original  beginning  of  the  stream 
is  sought,  and  nature  presents  its  own  best  method  and  law. 
and  that  method  and  law  do  not  in  any  sense  dictate  that  a 
lake  must  be  selected  as  the  source,  for  the  word  does  not  in 
any  sense  whatever  mean,  the  body  of  a  lake.  The  great 
majority  of  the  rivers  of  the  world  have  no  lakes  at  their  re- 
spective sources.  Then  we  must  discover,  know  and  de- 
scribe ''the  source"  of  the  Mississippi.  The  river  originates 
in  a  swampy,  lacustrine  region,  and  the  location  of  the 
source  has  not  been  an  easy  task.  All  of  the  facts  are  now 
given,  from  which  theoretical  deductions  are  eliminated. 
Theorists  may  select  a  choice  of  location,  while  the  senti- 
ment of  a  widely  acknowledged  recognition   in    favor    of 


i'38  THK    MISSISSIIMM    KiVKlC    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

Itasca  lakt!  still  continuos.  But  it  must  b«»  a'-knowlcdp'd 
that  "the  sj)riu<?s'  iroiu  wliicli  Itasca  draws  its  ])rincipal 
supply  aro  above  and  beyond  it.  and  tlioy  are  lilcewise  above 
and  beyond  Klk  lake. 

For  these  I'oasons,  and  in  the  absence  of  any  fundamental 
term  upon  which  to  proceed,  a  reliable  rule  of  no  uncertainty, 
the  rule  dictat(»d  by  nature,  in  ascertaining?  where  the  water.*' 
were  gathered  which  form  the  remotest  source  of  the  Miss 
issippi.  was  adopted,  and  for  that  purpose  the  length  of  the 
main  river  in  statute  miles,  up  through  the  valley  of  the 
basin,  was  ascertained  from  the  otticial  records  of  the  United 
States  gov^ernment  and  otherwise,  by  these  combined  sur- 
veys and  measurements  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Itasca  Basin. 

THE  LENGTH  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  length  of. the  principal  rivers  of  the  terrestrial  glob<  . 
always  interesting  and  instructive,  has,  from  time  to  time, 
been  ascertained  and  given,  usually  from  estimates  based 
upon  astronomical  observations  for  the  position  of  the  mouth, 
the  source,  and  principal  intermediate  points. 

To  accurately  ascertain  the  length  of  a  river  would  retiulre 
the  adoption  of  some  rule  for  the  measurement,  either: 

1st.     A  shore  line. 

2nd.  A  line  along  the  center  of  the  stream  ec^ui-distant 
from  each  bank  of  the  river,  or — 

3rd.     A.  line  along  the  thread  of  the  main  channel  of  water. 

The  proposition  of  measurement  contained  in  the  '2nd  and 
3rd  rule,  if  adopted  as  a  base  of  operation,  would  require  a 
system  of  stationary  floats  the  entire  length  of  the  river, 
and  for  that  reason  is  deemed  impracticable,  tiiough  the 
third  rules  lays  down  the  correct  manner  of  ascertaining  the 


7. 
V. 

y. 


i.   •- 


THK    fOMMIHSIONKUS    UKTAILKI)    SlUVKY.  289 

trut?  and  actual  length  of  a  stn^aii.  of  lunnin^'  w titer,  subject 
to  natural  oi*  nu'chanical  chaii'^os. 

From  the  time  of  tho  tirst  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  to 
the  present  date,  various  estimates  have  been  made  as  to  its 
length. 

With  a  view  to  a  more  concise  and  accurate  statement 
than  has  hitherto  been  possible  to  make,  especial  efforts 
have  been  made  *>  ascertain  and  state  its  true  lenffth.  based 
principally  upon  shore-lino  measurements. 

It  has  not  been  thouj;ht  advisable,  however,  to  take  into 
account  as  regards  the  ujjper  part  of  its  course  at  least,  tlie 
ine  made  by  the  thread  of  the  current  in  the  main  channel, 
even  if  obtainable,  for  the  reason  that  it  would  be  subject  to 
constant  revision  and  would  have  to  be  taken  with  that  un- 
derstanding, and,  therefore,  be  practically  useless  as  a  basis 
for  popular  comparison. 

The  lentjftli  of  tlie  lower  portions  of  the  river,  as  ascer- 
tained by  the  authorities  of  the  United  States,  is  adopted 
as  a  true  length,  for  the  purposes  of  this  report,  founded  as 
it  is  upon  scientitic  principles  of  civil  engineering,  and 
painstaking  action  thereunder. 

By  combining  the  distances  derivable  from  three  con- 
nected surveys,  the  total  length  of  the  channel  of  the  river  in 
all  its  windings,  from  the  Guli  of  Mexico  to  the  foot  of 
Itasca  lake,  can  now  be  given: 

From  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  at  S.  W.  pass  to  New  Orleans. .  1 1 1 .00  miles 

Thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river 9Go.50  " 

ThencetotheCity  of  St.  Louis 182.00  " 

Thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river .39.00  " 

Thence  to  Hannibal 102.25  " 

Thence  toQuincy  bridge 20.00  '^ 

Thence  to  Keokuk 41.00  " 

Thence  to  Burlington 46.50  " 


240  THE   MISSlSSIi'l'I    UIVKU    AND    ITS   SOUKCI-:. 

Thencc!  to  Rock  Island 82.  oOiuiles. 

Thence  to  Dubuque 107.25  " 

Thence  to  Prairie  duChien (52.00  " 

Thence  to  La  Crosse • 72. 25  " 

Thence  to  St.  Paul 156.00  " 

Thence  to  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  (Minneapolis) i:{.00  " 

Thence  to  outlet  of  WinniV)igoshish  lake 4;]2.50  '• 

Total  by  U.  S.  Engineers 2,432 . 75  miles 

Thence   to    Govemmtuit    meander,    at   intersection    of 
Range  36,  West  of  5th  Meridian  by  U.  S.  Deputy 

Surveyors itC.  50      ' 

Thence  to  Itasca  lake  by  .J.  \'.  Brower,  Com"r 17.27     " 

Total  from  Gulf  to  Itasca  lake 254().52  milis 

Thus  it  appeared  that  the  main  river  of  the  Mississippi 
basin  extends  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Itasca  Basin,  a 
limited,  permanent  depression  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth 
at  the  ultimate  source  of  the  river,  subsidiary  to  the  main 
basin  below  it. 

The  geologic  and  natural  features  predicating  this  con- 
clusion, are  so  well  known  and  established,  that  no  reference 
to  them  seems  necessary  in  this  connection,  excepting  the 
possibility  that  the  Missouri  river,  remotely  suggested  by 
occasional  inquirers,  might  be  called  the  main  river;  but  in- 
asmuch as  it  is  a  confluent  branch  of  the  main  stream,  com- 
ing in  at  one  side,  similar  to  the  Ohio  and  Red  rivers,  there 
is  no  good  reason  for  discussing  that  question  at  this  time. 
The  historic  data,  which  have  brought  to  our  notice  and 
knowledge  the  existence  of  the  main  river  extending  from 
the  Gulf  to  the  Itasca  Basin,  where  it  takes  its  rise,  indica- 
ting the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  by  piecemeal,  is  co- 
extensive with  the  discovery  of  the  coast  line  of  North 
America,  and  the  facts  are  indisputable,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  question  as  to  the  ultimate  source  of  the  main 


THE   commissioner's   DETAILED   SURVEY.  241 

river,  must  be  based  upon  the  facts  as  they  have  been  found 
to  exist  at,  above  and  beyond  Itasca  lake.  To  definitely  de- 
termine those  facts  it  became  a  necessity,  to  ascertain 
whence  came  the  waters  of  Itasca  lake.  That  necessity  re- 
quired a  definite  line  of  levels  in  the  field,  to  ascertain  ele- 
vations above  the  sea.  The  official  reports  of  the  United 
States  government  give  the  elevations  to  and  including  Cass 
lake,  and  an  actual  line  of  levels  across  the  country  from 
the  railroad  system  of  Minnesota  to  Itasca  lake,  run  iu  1889, 
and  corrected  by  a  second  actual  line,  run  from  Park  Rapids, 
Minn.,  in  December  1891,  demonstrates  its  actual  elevation 
above  the  sea  at  its  outlet.  The  la  Iway  levels  connect  with 
the  government  levels,  and  these  ascertained  elevations  used 
in  connection  with  this  examination  are  believed  to  be,  as 
corrected,  very  reliable,  as  great  care  has  been  exercised, 
recently,  to  perfect  them. 

The  tabulated  elevations,  shov/ing  the  sea  levels,  are  not 
only  as  interesting,  but  deemed  to  be  just  as  necessary,  as 
the  ascertained  distances  from  the  Gulf: 

THE  SEA  LEVELS. 

Elevation  at  the  surface  of  the  water  at: 

Gulf  of  Mexico 0.0  feet. 

City  of  St.  Louis :}84.8  '• 

Mouth  of  the  Illinois 399.4  " 

Hannibal 444.9  " 

Quincy 453.8  " 

Keokuk 472.3  " 

Burlington 505. 1  " 

Rock  Island 5^3.7  " 

Dubuque 578.2  " 

Prairie  du  Chien 597.5  " 

LaCrosse 621.2  " 

St.  Paul 680.5  " 

-16 


242  THE  MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

Above  St.  Anthony  Falls 782.0  feet. 

Below  Pokegania  Falls 1248.0    " 

Above  Pokegania  Falls 1269.8    " 

Winnibigoshish  Lake 1292.8    " 

Cass  Lake 1302.8    " 

To  Itasca  lake  by  a  preliminary  line  in  the  month  of 
April,  1889,  from  the  Great  Northern  Railway  system, 
at  a  located,  but  unconstructed  railroad  line,  near 
Craig's  crossing  upon  the  Mississippi,  nine  miles  north 
of  Itasca  lake,  and  a  test  line  from  the  end  of  the  track 
of  the  Great  Northern  branch  line  at  Park  Rapids, 
Minn.,  to  the  surface  of  the  water  at  Itasca  lake,  defi- 
nitely run  in  the  month  of  December,  1891,  determines 
the  correct  elevation  to  be 1457.0    '" 

The  test  line  from  Park  Rapids  to  Itasca  lake,  is  believed 
to  be  entirely  trustworthy  and  reliable. 

With  the  distances  and  elevations  ascertained,  the  survey 
of  the  ultimate  source,  commenced  in  March,  1889,  upon  the 
frozen  surface  of  Itasca  lake,  at  the  center  of  the  channel  of 
the  river,  at  its  debovchure,  from  the  extreme  north  end  of 
the  lake. 

At  a  remote  age,  the  Itasca  Basin  was  formed,  obtaining- 
an  existence  from  the  lap  of  nature,  an  indenture  upon  the 
surface,  oblong,  irregular  and  limited,  nearly  surrounded 
by  the  summits  of  the  Hauteurs  des  Terres,  properly  belong- 
ing to,  and  a  part  of,  the  extensive  basin,  containing  a 
thousand  lakes  and  streams,  which  forms,  above  Pokegama 
Falls,  and  north  of  the  Itasca  moraine,  an  upper  or  head- 
water drainage  basin  of  the  Mississippi.      The  subsidiary 

1     Great  Northern  Railway  Line,  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Jan.  2, 1892. 
.r.  V.  Brower,  Es(i.— Dear  Sir:— In  answer  to  your  letter  to  Otto,  would  say,  the 
bottom  of  the  tie  at  depot  at  Park  Rapids  is  an  elevation  of  1428  feet  .above  sea  level. 

N.  D.  MILLER,  Ciiief  Engineer. 
Adding  the  thickness  of  tie,  surface  n.odiflcation,  and  elevation  of  water  sur- 
face at  Itasca  lake  gives— 14.t6.86,  a  corrected  elevation  of  1457  feet  above  sea  level, 
correcting  the  error,  i;ppearlng  on  chart  of  1891,  as  1470  feet,  caused  by  commen- 
cing at  the  wrong  bench-uiark,  near  Craig's  crossing,  by  a  careless  employee,  who 
was  discharged  for  wilful  neglect  and  incompetency. 


THE    commissioner's   DETAILED   SURVEY.  243 

basin  at  Itasca  lake,  is  nothing  more  than  the  extreme  limit 
of  the  upper  drainage  or  headwater  basin,  the  most  remote 
and  the  most  elevated  above  the  sea  level. 

At  that  unknown  age  the  limited  Itasc"  Basin,  about  seven 
miles  long  and  less  than  five  in  width,  '^as  probably  the 
bed  of  one  lake,  with  bays  and  islands  anu  ,. aches.  That 
this  is  true,  is  beyotd  the  inference  of  a  mere  conjecture, 
although  it  is  not  probable  that  its  waters  extended  nearly 
to  the  summits  of  tne  heights  of  land  found  there,  where 
there  may  have  been  other  lakes.  The  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  of  Minnesota,  may  be  able  to  solve 
an  interesting  problem  as  to  what  waters  then  constituted  the 
source.    Was  it  Lake  Upham?^ 

From  this  one  lake  of  unknown  ages,  by  erosion,  the 
waters,  probably  having  been  increased  by  copious  precipi- 
tation, cut  their  way  through  the  ice  formation  and  alluvial 
stratum,  to  a  natural  condition  of  the  river  bed,  as  it  now 
exists,  immediately  below  Itasca  lake.  This  process  of 
nature,  the  waters  passing  to  lower  levels,  has  given  us 
numerous  lakes  and  lakelets,  within  the  Itasca  Basin, 
systematically  divided  apart,  each  of  a  different  elevation, 
up  the  inner  flanks  of  the  Hauteurs  des  Terres,  surrounding 
the  whole,  from  the  summits  of  which  the  waters  are 
returned  to  the  oceans,  through  Hudson's  bay  and  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 

Lines  of  measurement  to  ascertain  correct  distances,  and 
of  levels  to  determine  elevations,  were  extended  to  and  up 
through  the  trough  of  these  localities,  and  to  all  other  locali- 


1  la  June,  1891,  this  extinct  lake  was  named  Lake  Upham,  by  Prof.  Geo.  B. 
Aitonand  J.  V.  Brewer  in  honor  of  Prof.  Warren  Upham  who  has  so  carefully 
demonstrated  the  former  existence  of  the  extinct  Lake  Agassiz,  at  the  valley  of 
the  North  Red  river. 


244  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVER   AND   ITS   SOUKCE. 

ties,  on  either  side,  where  was  found  surface  drainage, 
regardless  of  how  unimportant  the  smaller  brooks  and 
streamlets  might  appear,,  carefully  bearing  in  mind  the 
preeminent  fact,  that  the  examination  of  headwater  rivers 
and  streams,  and  topographic  surroundings,  not  simply  some 
one  or  other  particular  lake  of  the  locality,  constituted  the 
principal  and  paramount  object,  that  the  question  might  be 
carefully  considered,  and  a  correct  answer,  definitely  stated, 
from  ascertained  hydraulic  conditions,  during  a  continuous 
period,  covering  the  spring,  summer,  autumn  and  winter 
months,  carefully  noting  all  changes  caused  by  meteorolo- 
gical influences. 

BASE  LINE  ESTABLISHED. 

Noted  in  the  daily  record  of  this  examination  is  found 
written,  at  Patterson's  cabin,  the  fact  that  the  northwest 
corner  of  Hubbard  county.  Minnesota,  the  official  corner  of 
four  government  townships,  thence  west  along  the  township 
line  between  Township  143,  Range  36,  and  Township  144, 
Range  36,  (west  of  the  Fifth  Principal  Meridian)  which 
crosses  the  north  extremity  of  Itasca  lake,  should  be 
adopted  as  a  base  line  of  operations,  from  which  all 
measurements  at  and  above  Itasca  lake,  should  be  made 
and  computed. 

EQUIPMENT. 

The  following  instruments  and  material  were  selected  and 
used,  during  the  continuance  of  this  survey  and  examina- 
tion: 

One  solar  compass,  one  sextant,  one  chronometer,  three 
th^^rmometers,  four  aneroid  barometers,  one  nautical 
almanac,  1889,  one  ephemeris,  one  theodolite,  one  transit, 
ore  chronograph,  one  large  field  level,  one  field  glass,  one 


s 


y. 


y. 


yf- 


y. 


IT— 5 "T »■,  ■  .*  _  I 


^^'^•^:>-.  %.''*^I-S 


THE   COMMISSIONER'S    DETAILED   SURVEY.  245 

self-reading  leveling  rod,  one  steel  tape,  two  surveyor's 
chains,  two  cameras,  one  drafting  table,  one  row  toat  and 
one  canoe,  drafting  paper,  vellum,  tin  tubes,  official  govern- 
ment plats  and  field  notes,  surveyor's  engraving  tools, 
pocket  compasses,  note-books,  drafting  scale,  rules,  large 
tent,  writing  materials,  journals  of  record  and  a  miscella- 
neous list  of  necessary  and  convenient  articles , 

DATES  AND  TIME   OCCUPIED. 

The  casual  examination,  which  was  the  foundation  for 
subsequent  official  examinations,  occupied  the  time  from  Oc- 
tober 2d,  to  November  17th,  1888. 

The  present  official  examinations  and  surveys  were  initia- 
ted March  4th,  1889,  and  continued  without  interruption,  in 
the  field  and  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  until  completed. 

The  actual  time  spent  at  the  Itasca  Basin  and  the  dates 
are  as  follows: 

October  19th  to  November  17th,  1888 Thirty  days. 

March  12th  to  May  1st 1889 Forty-eight  days. 

August 1889 Five  days. 

September 1889 Five  days. 

June  and  July,  1891,  as  State  Park  Com'r.  .Forty-one  days. 
Octooer  and  Nov.,  1891,  •'  ••     .  .Twenty-five days. 

December,  1891,  "  "     ..Six  days. 

Making  a  total  of  more  than  five  months  time  of  actual 
surveys  and  examinations  in  the  field.  The  time  occupied 
in  the  preparation  of  reports  and  charts,  covered  a  much 
longer  period. 

No  Indians  or  guides  were  employed. 

EMPLOYMENT  OF  INDIVIDUAL  SERVICE. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  surveys  and  examinations, 
the  following  persons  were  employed  from  time  to  time. 


246  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVEU    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

J.  V.  Brower,  Commissiouer  in  Charge.. St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Peter  TurnbuU,  Civil  Engineer  and  Sur- 
veyor  Park  Rapids, 

Maj.  Charle.s  Wanzer,  Civil  Engineer. . .  .St.  Paul, 

Charles  A.  Hunt,  Civil  Engineer St.  Paul, 

E.  Hayes.  Surveyor Minneapolis, 

Frederick  Kribs,  Surveyor Park  Rapids, 

W.  A  Hayden,  Topographer Detroit. 

Henry  Boh  all,  Rodman Park  Rapids, 

Andrew  Lange,  Axman  and  Chainmau. . .  .Itasca  Lake. 

B.  McMullan.  "  ••  "  ...  .Itasca  Lake, 
Wm.  McMullan,  "  "  "  ....  Itasca  Lake, 
Benjamin  Inman,     •'         '•           "         ...  .Park  Rapids. 

E.  Trask,  Elk  Lake, 

William  Parks,  Transportation Park  Rapids. 

John  Eddy,  •  •  Verndale. 

John  Meguire,  "  Park  Rapids. 

H.  C.  Mead,  •■  Park  Rapids. 

Prof.  D.  C.  Rhodes.  Photographer Verndale, 

F.  J.  Haynes,  "  St.  Paul, 

E.  S.  Hill,  "  St.  Cloud, 

Miss  Beulah  V.  Bryden,  Stenographer. .  .St.  Paul, 
R.  B.  Brower,                             "              . .  .St.  Cloud, 
Miss  Minnie  Dassel,                   *•              ...St.  Paul, 
W.  H.  Frisbie,  Landscape  Artist St.  Paul, 

C.  F.  Jewett,  Draughtsman St.  Paul, 

And  several  others  for  brief  periods  of  time. 

Specific  duties  of  a  portion  of  the  employes,  were  per- 
formed elsewhere  than  at  Itasca  lake. 

CORRESPONDENTS. 

During  the  time  occupied  in  this  examination,  numerous 
officials  and  individuals  were  consulted,  and  from  the  list, 
the  following  are  noted: 

The  Hon.  Secretaries  of  State  for  Michigan,   Wisconsin. 


THE   (!oMMISSIONEK'S    DETAILED    SURVEY.  1*47 

Illinois,  Missouri.  Iowa,  Tennessee.  Arkansas.  Kentucky,  Mis- 
sissippi, Louisiana  and  Minnesota,  for  records,  maps.  etc. 

A  committee  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society,  consist- 
ing of  Captain  R.  Blakely.  Hon  I.  V.  D.  Heard  and  Mr. 
Charles  D.  Elfelt,  appointed  by  request,  for  consultation  as 
to  orij^inal  discovery,  sources,  and  the  selection  of  proper 
geographical  designations  for  unnamed  lakes  and  streams 
within  the  Itasca  Basin,  and  to  harmonize  designations  for 
lakes  beai'ing  more  than  one  name,  and  to  eliminate  names 
improperly  applied. 

Hon.  Alexander  Ramsey Ex  Sec'y  of  War. 

Gen.  H.  H.  Sibley St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Rev.  W.  T.  Boutwell Stillwater, 

Rev.  J.  A.  GilfiUan White  Earth,       " 

Mrs.  Jane  Howard Richmond,  Va. 

Mrs.  Georgiana  Demaray St.  Paul.  Minn. 

A.  H.  Siegfried,  Eso     New  York  City. 

Julius  Chambers,  Esq New  York  City. 

Hopewell  Clarke,  Esq St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Prof.  N.  H.  Winchell State  University  " 

Prof.  Warren  Upham Boston,  Mass. 

Geo.  S.  Frost,  Esq Detroit,  Mich. 

Edwin  S.  Hall,   Esq Sauk  Rapids,  Minn. 

Charles  Lanman,  Esq Washington,  D.  C. 

Hon.  Cushman  K.  Davis U.  S.  Senate. 

The  Register  U.  S.  Land  Office Crookston,      Minn. 

The  Surveyor  General's  Office St.  Paul, 

The  General  Land  Office Washington,    D.  C. 

Hon.  S.  G.  Comstock,  M.  C Washington, 

The  War  Department Washington, 

Office  of  Chief  of  Engineers Washington, 

Alfred  J.  Hill,  Esq St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Rev.  Edward  D.  Neill,  D.  D St.  Paul, 

Mrs.  O.  E.  Garrison Garrison,  " 


248  THK    MIS.SISS11»I'I    KlVEIl   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

Prof.  T.  H.  Kirk.  Dept.  of  Public  Instruc 

tion St.  Paul,  Minn. 

J.  H.  Rhodes,  Esci Little  Palls, 

Mrs.  Helen  Hulbert Detroit,  Mich. 

Hon.  W.  H.  C.  Folsom Taylors  Falls, Minn. 

N.  D.  Miller,  Chief  Engineer GreatNorthernRyCo 

Wm.  A.  Trucsdell,  C.  E St.  Paul,  Minn. 

The  West  Point  Military  Academy West  Point,  N.  Y. 

The  Land  Department  of  the  Northern 

Pacific  Railway St.  Paul,  Minn. 

The  Chicago  Historical  Society Chicago,     111. 

Messrs.  J.  M.  Barnes  and  LucienWulsin,  of  Ohio. 
She-na  wi-gi-shick,  an  Ojibway  Indian. .  Tjeech  Lake. 

Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter Beloit,     Wisconsin. 

The  American  Geographical  Society New  York. 

The  Royal  Geographical  Society , . . .  London. 

Mr.  Cyrus  C.  Adams New  York. 

Mr.  Geo.  C.  Hurlbut New  York. 

Prof.  W.  M.  Davis Harvard  College. 

Prof.  Geo.  B.  Alton Minneapolis,  Minn. 

The  Goldthwaites New  York. 

The  Wisconsin  Historical  Society Madison,  Wis. 

Prof.  T.  H.  Lewis St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Gen.  James  H.  Baker Garden  City, 

Hon.  J.  N.  Castle,  M.  C Washington,     D.  C. 

Emil  Geist,  Esq St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Rev.  W.  E.  Hopkins Park  Rapids, 

Prof.  L.  J.  Curtis Park  Rapids, 

A.  T.  Warner,  Esq St.  Paul, 

Henry  R.  Cobb,  Esq Park  Rapids, 

Mr.  J.  C.  Crane West  Millbury,  Mass 

Hon.  C.  D.  Cutting Riceville,         Iowa. 

John  Leyendecker,  Esq Sauk  Centre,  M  inn. 

Col.  W.  P.  Clough St.  Paul, 

Hon.  T.  F.  Oakes New  York. 

Rev.  Stanley  A.  McKay Owatonna,  Minn. 


-    X 
1.  ~ 


THE   COMMISSIONEU'S    DETAILED   SITUVKY.  249 

M.-.  Henry  Gannett Washinjjrton.     D.  C. 

And  a  large  number  of  others 

INCEPTION  OB^  THE  OFFICIAL  SURVEY. 

Distances  wore  found  as  follows  from  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Hubbard  county,  Minnesota,  alonf?  the  base  'ine 
adopted,  to  the  east  shore,  north  arm  of  Itasca  lake: 

U.  S.  Government  Survey S., •}.')()  feet. 

True  distance,  by  direct  transit  line 8.476     " 

The  Government  line  officially  established  in  li-(75,  is  plain 
and  distinct  over  a  rough,  broken  and  brushy  region.  On 
the  east  shore  of  Itasca,  are  located  the  Government  witness 
trees  and  meander  corner  )n  the  township  lino  mentioned, 
and  immediately  across  the  north  point  of  the  lake  on  the 
west  shore,  the  official  meander  corner  and  one  witness  tree. 
At  this  meander  corner  on  the  townshii)  line,  on  the  west 
shore  of  the  north  arm  of  Itasca  lake,  was  erected  an  oak 
landmark,  bearing  a  sufficient  inscription. 

From  this  land-mark,  north,  )}'  4o'  west  20H.7  feet  is 
found  the  center  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Mississippi 
river  as  it  proceeds  from  Itasca  lake.  In  the  centre  of  that 
channel,  below  the  bed  of  tliD  stream,  was  placed  another 
oak  land  mark,  properly  eigraved. 

From  this  post,  imbedded  in  the  centre  of  the  main  channel 
of  the  river  at  the  north  end  of  Itasca  lake,  the  measure- 
ments commenced,  and  thence  were  continued  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  Itasca  Basin,  containing  lakes,  bodies  of 
water,  springs,  pools  and  running  streams. 

ITASCA  LAKE. 
The  formation  of  Itasca  lake  is  a  small  body  of  v/ater  at 
and  around  Schoolcraft  island,  and  three  long,  narrow  arms 


ll'iO  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

projecting — one  to  the  southeast,  one  t«.>  the  southwest,  and 
one  to  the  north — from  the  last  of  which  the  waters  of  the 
Mississii)pi  pass  out  from  the  lake.  From  the  southeast 
and  southwest  extremities  of  the  lake,  picturesque  valleys 
extend,  denominated  Mary  valley  and  Nicollet  valley,  re- 
spectively, and  up  these  valleys  numerous  lakes  exist,  each 
at  a  higher  elevation  as  you  pass  up  the  respective  valleys, 
than  the  one  below,  and  each  valley  is  drained  by  a  stream 
of  perennial  flowage. 

Nature's  unerring  law  constitutes  these  two  streams,  by 
reason  of  their  length  and  importance,  its  principal  surface 
channels,  through  which,  the  inflow  to  Itasca  lake  is  the 
most  abundantly  supplied,  with  a  minimum  fluctuation  and 
an  unyielding  certainty.  These  are  Nicollet's  Infant  Missis- 
sippi river  and  Mary  creek. 

All  others  come  in  at  the  side,  are  shorter,  and  less  im- 
portant. 

SOUNDINGS. 

The  soundings  taken,  were  not  sufficient  upon  which  to 
base  an  accurate  calculation  of  the  cubic  gallons  of  water 
contained  in  the  lake.  The  depth  of  water  varies  from  four 
to  fifty  and  sixty  feet;  an  ordinary  depth  of  from  twenty  to 
thirty-five  feet  was  sounded  in  numerous  places.  The 
deepest  sounding  reported  w^as  off  Turnbull  point.  The 
width  of  the  lake  varies  from  one-sixth  to  three-fourths  of  a 
mile.  Many  precipitous  hills,  covered  with  a  growth  of 
pine  timber,  nearly  surround  it,  among  which  it  is  deeply, 
imbedded.  The  shores  are,  in  places,  lined  with  boulders, 
thickly  bordered  with  overhanging  flora,  characteristic  of 
the  locality,  making  it  practically  impossible  to  pass  along 
at  the  water's  edge,  on  foot;  at  occasional  points  along  the 


a:     ■_, 


THE   t;OMMISSIONKR'S    DETAILKD    SURVEY.  251 

shores,  sprinf^s  of  pure,  cold  water  appear,  around  which 
<-lustor  balsam,  fir,  spruce,  the  native  tamarac,  willow, 
aspen,  ash  and  birch,  with  pine  groves  higher  uo.  In  the 
summer  season,  a  narrow  rim  of  rushes  and  water  grass 
extend,  practically  the  entire  distance  around  the  lake. 
There  are  no  sand  beaches  there.  A  continuous  drouth  of 
several  years  recently  occurred,  during  which  time  precipi- 
tation was  reduced  to  a  minimum  quantity,  yet  the  lake  re- 
mained stationary  with  a  regular  inflow  and  outflow,  though 
somewhat  reduced  in  volume.  The  years  18s8  and  1889 
were  two  periods  of  this  drouth,  which  afforded  an  ample 
opportunity  to  notice  id  study  its  effect,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  absence  of  rainfall  there,  in  the  autumn  months  of 
1889,  the  lake  had  risen  in  its  surface  elevation  several 
inches,  as  a.scertained  by  land  marks  at  the  water's  edge, 
which  were  placed  in  position  in  1888. 

OTHER  CHARACTERISTICS. 

The  following  streams  of  running  water  supply  the  lalce 
with  an  inflow  equalling  the  outflow. 

Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi,  at  extreme  southwest  angle. 

Mary  creek,  at  extreme  southeast  angle. 

Chambers  creek,  at  the  east  side  of  the  west  arm. 

Boutwell  creek,  at  the  west  side  of  the  west  arm. 

Island  ^reek.  on  the  west  side,  opposite  Schoolcraft  island. 

Flop.,ung  Bog  creek,  at  P^'Ioating  Bog  bay. 

Sha-wun-uk-u  mig  creek,  at  southwest  angle. 

North  of  Garrison  point,  .south  of  Ozawindib  point,  north 
of  Schoolcraft  island  and  at  the  extreme  north  end  of  the 
north  arm,  are  small  and  uncertain  creeks  of  no  special 
importance. 


252  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER  AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

Itasca  lake  has  gradually  receded  from  a  former  and 
plainly  distinct  higher  surface  elevation  since  its  first  dis- 
covery in  1803.  The  indications  of  this  recession  are  dis- 
tinct. Bear  point  was  formerly  an  island,  the  waters  ex 
tending  across  from  Floating  Bog  bay  to  the  east  shore  of 
the  m  u  body  of  the  lake,  where  is  situated  Schoolcraft 
island,  its  summit  ranging  from  northwest  to  southeast,  sev- 
enteen feet  higher  than  the  surface  of  the  lake,  and  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  birch,  basswood.  aspen,  fir  and  did 
mond  willow,  one  stately  white  pine,  and  an  occasional  bmr 
oak.     Its  surface  area  is  2.62  acres. 

A  shoal  of  boulders  has  a  permanent  existence  in  the 
main  body  of  the  lake  a  short  distance  west  of  south  from 
the  island. 

At  the  outlet  of  Itasca  lake  the  Great  River  is  scarcely 
fifty  feet  wide  at  the  first  appearance  of  a  current,  is  three 
or  four  feet  in  depth  in  the  centre  of  the  channel,  has 
muddy  shores,  and  as  the  current  increases  in  rapidity  to 
the  westward,  the  river  narrows  to  an  average  of  about 
thirty  feet,  is  filled  with  debris,  shoals  and  boulders,  and 
for  some  distance  down  the  stream,  free  passage  with  canoes 
is  impeded  by  reeds,  flag  and  water  grass. 

The  spurs  of  the  Haiifenrs  des  Terres,  trending  inward,  and 
extending  to  the  shores  of  Itasca  lake,  dividing  the  waters 
in  sectional  divisons,  are  numerous,  and  by  this  means,  this 
lake,  situated  at  the  lowest  dejjression,  receives  and  dis- 
charges all  the  flowing  water  found  there,  a  characteristic 
of  the  locality  not  applicable  to  any  of  its  neighboring 
lakes. 

One  peculiar  signiticancy  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that 
Itasca  lake  has  a  flood  plain  of  but  little  more  than  three 


THE   commissioner's   DETAILED    SURVEY.  253 

feet  in  elevation  above  the  natural  surface  of  the  lake.  The 
flood  plains  of  the  lakes  higher  up  are  ten,  fifteen  and 
twenty  feet.  Thus,  while  Itasca  lake  is  always  supplied  and 
sometimes  rises  during  dry  weather,  the  lakes  at  the  sum- 
mit dry  down  rapidly  to  a  lesser  surface  area,  depending 
upon  rainfall  to  re-supply  them, 

MEASUREMENTS  AND  DISTANCES, 
rtasca  lake  has  a  shore  line  of  twenty-three  thousand 
yards  and  covers  an  area  of  1130  acres.  Distances  to  speci- 
fic points  were  ascertained  upon  the  ice,  commencing  at  the 
centre  of  the  channel  of  the  river,  at  the  north  end  of  the 
north  arm  and  thence  to: 

Mouth  of  Mary  creek 22,639  feet 

Mouth  of  Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi. 17.926     " 

Mouth  of  Chambers  creek 16,727     " 

Mouth  of  Boutwell   creek 13.627     " 

These  are  the  four  principal  streams  contributing  a 
perennial  inflow  to  the  largest  lake  at  the  lowest  depression, 
and  the  only  streams  which  discharge  their  waters  into 
Itasca  lake,  worthy  of  especial  consideration. 

THE  MARY  VALLEY.  LAKES  AND  CREEK. 

From  each  extreme  end  of  Itasca  lake,  there  exists  a  well 
defined  valley,  bordered  by  the  heights  of  land.  Sibilant 
lake  is  situated  at  the  summit  of  the  Hauteur  de  Terre  beyond 
the  southern  extremity  of  Mary  valley,  which  extends 
south  from  the  end  of  the  east  arm.  Two  small  lakelets 
exist  north  of  Sibilant  lake,  yet  south  of  the  point  where 
the  real  characteristics  of  Mary  \  alley  are  first  observed  in 
passing  north  on  the  Turnbull  road,  which  descends  into 
Mary  valley  at  the  north  end  of  Josephine  lake.  At  this 
point,  the  examination  of  Mary  valley  was  commenced. 


254 


THE   MlSSISSII'l'I    KIVEK    AND    ITS   SOUUCK. 


THK   COMMISSION KKS    DKTAILEI)   Sl'^^KY.  255 

Josephino  \-dke  is  the  head  of  the  valley,  is  closely  sur- 
rounded by  high   hills  on  either  side,  with  a  sli«;^ht  rise  of 
the  surface  dividing  its  waters   from   those   of   Ako  lake. 
The  elevation  of  Josephine  lake  ab,')ve  the  surface  of  the 
water  of  Itasca  lake  is  tifty-eight  (r)8)  feet.     Thence  in  the 
sharply  defined  valley  descending  to  the  north, weie  reached 
and  passed  Ako  and  Danger  lakes,  and  lower  down  through 
a  dry  creek  bed  to  the  north  a  limited    tamarac  swam ])  was 
reached,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  situated  The  Twin.s — two 
small  connected  lakes  supplied  by  the  waters  higher  up  the 
valley.     Thisswamj)  is  connected  with  the  Clarke  lake  local- 
ity and  Midway  Reservoir  by  a  small   well  defined  water- 
shed having  a  dry  creek  b«Hl  as  one  characteristic.     The 
swamp  extends  to  the  south  or  upper  end  of  Mary  lake,  the 
most  imi)ortant  body  of  water  in  Mary  valley,  formed  and 
maintained  by  the  gathering  of  the  water  from   the  upper 
portions  of  the  valley.      From  this  lake  flows  Mary  creek,  a 
perennial  affluent  entering  the  south  end  of  the  east  arm  of 
Ita.sca    Mary  lake  is  erroneously  noted  on  the  official  plats  of 
the  United  States  as  two  small  lakes.  The  lake  is  one-half  of 
a  mile  long  and  covers  an  area  of  75  acres,  is  40  feet  in  depth 
and  its  surface!  is  iU.iJ  feet  higher  than  that  of  Itasca  lake. 
During  the  most  continued  drouth,  its  surface  elevation  re- 
mains unchanged. 

The  distances  from   the   main  i-ivcr  to  tin-  ]uy,u[   of  Mary 
valley  are  as  follows: 

From  centre  of  main  channel  of  the  Mississippi  at  north 
end  of  north  arm  of  Itasca,  to  mouth  of 

Mary  creek L'2,689  feet. 

Up  channel  of  Mary  creek  to  Mary  lak(' H.058     " 

Length  of  Mary  lake 1*,  597     ' ' 


256  THE    MLSSISSIPIM    ItlVEll    AND    ITS    SOUllCE. 

From  Mary  lake  to  the  Twin  lakes 2,222  feet. 

Across  the  Twin  lakes 320 

Prom  the  Twin  lakes  to  Danger  lake 1,183 

Across  Danger  lake 1, 100 

Danger  to  Ako  lake 817 

Across  Ako  lake 523 

Ako  to  Josephine  lake 275 

Length  of  Josephine  kike 1,345 


Total 86,079 

Width  of  Mary  creek  near  its  mouth 6  feet. 

Depth  of  channel 6  'nches. 

Rapidity  of  c  rrent  per  minute 60  feet. 

Depth  of  Itasca  lake  off  mouth  of  Mary  creek .  25  and  35  feet. 

The  importance  of  Mary  creek,  lake  and  valley,  as  a  per- 
ennial supply  to  the  inflow  of  Itasca  lake  is  augmented  by 
the  fact  that  its  length  is  greater  than  that  of  any  other 
valley,  lakes  an  1  creek  within  the  basin,  excepting  only  the 
principal  stream  draining  Nicollet's  valley  and  its  branches 
Upon  a  consideration  of  this  importance  it  has  been  deter- 
mined that  Mary  valley  with  its  lakes  and  creek,  constitute 
the  Lesser  Ultimate  Reservoir  bowl  of  the  Mississippi  river 
system, distinctly  separated  and  apart  from  the  western  arm. 

Mary  valley  is  a  deep,  picturesque  depression,  rising 
gradually  from  Itasca  lake  to  the  summits  where  it  reaches 
a  narrowing  limit  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Joseph- 
ine lake. 

ELK  LAKE  AND  ITS  CREEKS. 

An  eroded  surface,  where  formerly  existed  a  narrow  shoal, 
has  created  the  bed  of  Chamber's  creek  ^ ,  1, 100  feet  long, 
connecting  Elk  lake  with  Itasca  lake.     Previous  to  the  erod- 


1    Poriuerly  desijinatod  as  "Elk  creek." 


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THK    COMMISSIONKUS    i)KTAlLi:i)    SUUVKY.  I'.'T 

iii«;  action  of  the  waters,  comparatively  of  recent  date.  Elk 

lalvo  was  a  bay  of  Itasca;  in  the  lan«;uaijre  of   the  Ojibway — 

•Peko-gu-niag" — '"A  water  juttin«?  otf  from  another  water." 

That  it  was,  forin«M-ly,  a  part  of  Itasca  lake,  will  be 
readily  admitted  by  the  casual  observer;  an  estuary,  cast 
asunder  by  the  <;radual  lowering  of  the  surface  of  th<' 
parent  lake,  from  protracted  natural  causes,  leaving  it  491) 
feet  distant,  and  1-  inches  higher,  with,  a  separating  narrow 
strip  of  land  intervening,  at  Morrison  hill.  Elk  lake  covers 
an  area  of  294  acres,  is  a  mile  in  length,  and  soven  sound- 
ings, through  openings  in  the  ice  cut  for  that  purpose, 
gave  an  average  depth  of  ii-\  feet.  Its  general  character- 
istics are  indontical  with  those  of  Itasca  lake,  with  these 
exceptions : 

1st.  It  is  situated  at  the  side  of  the  west  arm  of  Itasca, 
not  at  an  extremity. 

2nd.  It  has  no  perennial  stream,  woi-thy  of  the  name, 
falling  into  it. 

3rd.  Only  an  average  of  ,\,  of  the  water  passing  out  from 
Itasca  lake,  is  drawn  from  Elk  lake,  through  Chambers 
creek. 

4th.  Instead  of  having  well  defined  valleys,  drained  by 
perennial  currents,  it  is  imbedded  ia  hills,  which  nearly  sur- 
round it. 

5th.  The  small  and  narrow  creeks  which  fall  into  it,  are 
of  uncertain  existence,  and  in  March,  1889,  all  of  them  were 
entirely  closed  by  frost  and  ice,  excepting  only  Elk  spr'ngs, 
situated  on  the  east  shore  of  the  lake,  and  in  the  montii  of 
August  following,  they  were  all  dry» 

In  the  summer  of  1890,  after  copious  rainfall.  Lake  Itasca 
rose  a  foot  or  more  above  Elk   lake,  and  Chambers  creek 

-17 


•J.'"^  TIIK    MISSISSIPPI    RIVKK    AND    ITS    SOUl{CK. 

flowed  into  insU'jul  of  out  from  it,  a  coi'tiiiii  iiulirutioii   tliat 
Itasca  lake  di'aws  Its  principal  supply  from  beyond  the  nai- 
row  limits  of  Elk  lake.     It  will  thus  be  noticed  that  Elk  hilcf 
has   but    limitetl  characteristics  of   the  locality,  and  is  imt 
entitled  to  a  «rreater  or  more  ext<'ndt»d  importaiice  than  its 
curtailed  ])ositi(jn  will  warrant.     A  dense  forest  borders  it 
on  the  south  shore.     Its  miniature  creeks  fall   into  it  fron. 
that  dense  forest,  while  beyond  and  above  rise  the  summits 
of  the  Iffiiiffiir  ih-  Terre.     Elk  lake  is  far  belo\\  those  sum- 
mits, and  its  c!reeks  are  far  removed  from  an  ideal  standard, 
and   tho.se  who  are   induced    to  believe  otherwise,   are  the 
lambs   of  cn.'atiou    led    to   the   slau«rhter.      Those   streams 
apjjear  upon  Xicollefs  map  of  ls;]().  and  for  convenient  geo- 
<i'raphical  desij^nation  have  been  named  as  follows: 
Elk  sprin<;s,  At  east  shore  of  Elk  lake, 

Keg-wed-zis-sag'  creek,    At  S.  E.  extremity  of  Elk  lake, 
Clarke  creek  and  pool,       At  southern  extremity  of  Elk  lalce. 
Elk  creek.  At  S.  W.  extremity  of 

Siegfried  creek.  At  west  shore  of 

The  flood-plain  of  Elk  lake  is  practically  the  same  as  that 
of  Itasca,  limited,  and  its  surface  elevation  remains  practi- 
cally stationary  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  statement, 
recently  made,  that  the  basin  of  Elk  lake  is  larger  than  thai 
drained  by  Nicollet's  Infant  river,  is  erroneous,  as  may  be 
readily  observed  upon  an  inspection  of  the  accompanying 
chart.  If  the  area  of  the  limited  drainage  basin  surround- 
iiig  Elk  lake,  was  greater  than  that  of  Nicollet  valley,  the 
outflow  would  be  greater.  It  is  admitted  by  all  who  have 
examined  the  two  localities,  that  it  is  much  less. 


1     As  speUf'd  by  Nifollt't.    'Plic  coT'ect  iiiuii  ■  is  (Jay  ;?wtHi-()-siiy. 


THE    COMMISSIONER'S    DETAILED    SUIiVEY.  1259 

THE  DENSE  FOREST. 
Immediately  bordering  the  southern  shore  of  Elk  lake. 

the  dense  forest  of  pine,  fir,  cedar,  tamarac,  birch,  ash  and 
aspen  is  situated,  intermingled  with  such  mats  of  willow, 
windfalls,  swamps  and  underbrush  as  to  constitute  an  exami 
nation  of  it  for  topographic  conditions,  a  difficult  undertak- 
ing. For  the  jjurposes  of  an  accurate  survey,  the  section 
and  quarter-section  lines  were  opened  by  axemen,  making 
a  passage  through  and  around  the  entire  forest,  and  a 
detailed  examination  of  it  an  accomplished  fact.  The 
miniature  creeks  formed  there,  are  local  in  character,  and 
limited  in  length  and  capacity,  indicating  no  existence  of 
any  considerable  and  permanent  surface  drainage  or  arte- 
sian pressure. 

THE  DISTANCES. 

From  the  centre  of  the  channel  at  the  outlet  of  Itasca  lake, 
on  the  surface  of  the  ice: 

Thence  to  the  mouth  of  Chambers  creek  is 16.727  feet. 

Thence  up  the  channel  of  Chambers  creek  to 

Elk  lake 1.100     •• 


Total 17.827     " 

At  the  time  this  measurement  was  made,  in  March.  188'.), 
diligent  search  failed  to  reveal  any  surface  inflow  to  Elk 
lake,  through  either  of  the  small  creek  beds.  Notwithstand- 
ing that  fact  Chambers  creek  discharged  a  slightly  increased 
volume  of  water  from  Elk  into  Itasca  lake,  than  was  dis- 
charged the  previous  November,  and  that  fact  indicated  the 
existence  of  a  body  of  water  above  and  beyond  Elk  lake,  as 
a  reservoir  supply,  for  no  rainstorms  occurred  during  the 
intervening  tim    . 

1  TIrtc  is  no  (loiibt  wliatevor  but  that  Elk  lakt'  is  supplied  to  some  oxteiu  hy 
•wiiteTs  from  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir  IkiwI  by  tortuous  ways  throuiru  tlie 
uicdiuins  which  nature  in  her  grandeur  has  provided. 


tlV)i)  THE  MISSISSIPPI    KlVKtl    AND    ITS    SOL'RCE. 

Subsequently,  in  April   18^9.  an   attempt  to  ascertain   the 

true  length  of  creeks  south  of  Elk  lake  resulted  as  follows ; 

At  Elk  springs,  a  small  brook r)0  feet. 

Gay-gwed-o  say  creek,  to  ice  blocks  in  swamp. .         275    " 

Clarke  creek,  from  Elk  lake  to  Clarke  pool 875    " 

Siegfried  creek  to  Hall  lake 4.;i55    " 

Elk  creek  was  still    blocked  ^ith  ice,   and  the  thawing 

snows  disseminated  its  substance  over  the  icy  surface,  while 

in  the  following  August   the  bed  of  the  creek  was  entirely 

dry. 

CHAMBERS  CREEK  MEASURED  AND  CONSIDERED. 

The  measurements  of  water  in  Chambers  creek,  from  time 
to  time,  anfl  the  character  of  the  creek  as  gathered  from  the 
observatioiis  of  others,  who  have  visited  the  place  upon  dif- 
ferent occasions,  give  very  ;tccurate  and  concise  information 
as  to  its  importance. 

The  facts  are  so  cumulative  and  convincing  that  the 
greater  part  of  it  is  given,  in  order  that  the  true  character  of 
this  creek  may  be  thoroughly  understood  by  those  who  de- 
sire information  upon  the  question  as  to  which  is  the  main 
stream  within  the  Itasca  Basin — Chambers  creek  or  Nicol- 
let's Infant  Mississippi. 

The  running  water  between  Elk  and  Itasca  lakes,  through 
Chambers  creek,  must  be  considered  as  being  extremely 
vaiiable  from  apparent  causes,  wholly  meteorological,  th(» 
maximum  and  minimum  for  1880,  being  given  as  a  basis  for 
the  consideration  of  its  importance. 

Maximum  depth.  April.    1889 8  inches. 

Minimum  depth.  September,  1889 1  inch. 

Maximum  width.  April.  1*^89 5  feet. 

Minimum  width.  September,  18s9 3  feet. 


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THE    COMMISSIONER'S    DETAILED    SURVEY.  '-'(•l 

Velocity  of  current,  per  minute,  April.  1889 60  feet. 

Velocity  of  current,  September.  188'J not  perceptible. 

the  outlet   from   Elk   lake    being  closed   up  with  rushes, 
tlag  and  sediment,  a  dense  growth  extending  far  out  into 
the  lake'. 

Chambers  creek  has  been  exaraired  from  time  to  time,  as 
to  flowage  with  the  following  results: 

By  the  distinguished  Nicollet  in  l'-';J().  when  it  appears  to 
have  been  a  short,  sluggish  channel. 

By  Julius  Chambers  in  1872,  when  he  had  much  difficulty 
in  passing  up  the  creek,  to  Elk  lake,  with  his  canoe. 

By  O.  E.  Garrison  in  1880.  when  he  failed  in  an  attempt  to 
pass  do  ■•'  ^he  creek  in  his  canoe,  on  account  of  low  water, 
and  po  p  a  across  the  brow  of  Morrison  hill,  carrying  his 
canoe  and  provisions  from  Elk  to  Itasca  lake. 

By  W.  Glazier  in  1881.  when  sometimes  they  "found  it 
necessary  to  lift  the  anoes  over  logs  and  occasionally  to 
remove  diminutive  sandbars  from  the  bed  of  the  stream 
with  our  paddles.  As  we  neared  the  head  of  this  primal 
section  of  the  mighty  river,  we  could  readily  touch  both 
shores  with  our  hands  at  the  same  time."'  P.  70,  "Down 
the  Great  River.' 

By  Peter  Turnbull,  1883-4.  when  at  one  time  he  "walked  up 
the  bed  of  the  creek  without  wetting  the  soles  of  his  shoes." 

By  Hopewell  Clarke,  in  1886,  "when  its  depth  varied  from 
two  to  eight  inches." 

By  Prof.  Kirk,  in  1887,  when  his  party  with  great  difficulty 
ascended  the  stream,  in  their  boat,  and  also  upon  measure- 
ment found  Nicollet's  Mississippi  five  or  six  times. larger  in 
volume  of  water. 


1    Sec  view  al  Rlk  lakf  fmtn  ;i  jihototfraph  by  Ktaodes. 


-&2  THK    MISSISSIPPI    UIVEli    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

By  J.  V.  Brower.  N.  "VV.  Kice  and  John  Leyendeckor.  in 
1888,  when  the  brook  midway  between  the  two  lakes  was 
thirty  (30)  inches  wide  and  one  (1)  inch  deep. 

By  John  Leyendecker  in  November  and  December,  1889. 
who  reported  that  the  stream  was  about  dried  up;  and  that, 
on  the  other  hand.  Lake  Itasca  was  several  inches  higher 
than  in  the  month  of  November,  1888.  as  ascertained  by 
land-marks  made  at  the  water's  edge  at  that  time  and  which, 
in  1889,  he  found  under  the  surface  of  the  water. 

By  "The  undersigned,  who  on  the  dates  set  op])osite  our 
names,  visited  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  and  on  said 
dates  the  creek  connecting  Elk  vvuth  Itasca  lake  was  much 
smaller  in  volume  of  water,  length,  width,  depth  and  cur- 
rent, than  the  principal  stream  known  as  'Nicollet's  Infant 
Mississippi. 

L.  J.  Curtis,  principal.  Park  Rapids  Schools.  June,  1891. 
W.  E.  Hopkins,  paster  Baptist  Church,  Park  Rapids.  June, 

1891. 
Robert  Dunn,  settler,  near  Itasca,  1890. 
P.  A.  Vanderpool,  att'y  at  law.  Park  Rapids,  1887-1890. 
Anna  C.  Grunt,  teacher,  *•  ••        June,  1891. 

Carrie  B.  Jacobia,    "  "  "         June,  1891. 

Henry  R.  Cobb,  P.  M.,  Park  Rapids,  June  and  August,  1891. 
T.  S.  Finney,  settler,  near  Itasca,  1890. 
Mrs.  T.  S.  Finney,  Park  Rapids,  1891." 

By  Rev.  Stanley  A.  McKay,  Owatonna,  Minn. ,  an  eminent 
clergyman,  who  in  the  month  of  June,  1891,  celebrated  the 
ceremonies  of  baptism  at  Itasca  lake,  under  date  of  Septem- 
ber 14th.  1891,  wrote: 

"Dear  Sir:  Since  recei%ing  your  communication  two 
weeks  ago.  I  have  seen  the  newspaper  reports  of  the  late 
Glazier  expedition  and  have   also  received  your  excellent 


/.       -' 


A     '. 


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7. 


THK    COMMISSIONEIi'S    UKTAILED    SUUVKY.  L'tW 

Hydrograpliic  cliarl  of  Iho  Ultimate  Sources  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, foi-  wlucii  accept  my  thanks.  I  am  sure  that  the  chart 
is  lacking?  in  nothin«r  to  enable  any  one  to  make  an  intel- 
lii,'ent  study  of  the  question  whf)  liad  not  visited  the  lake, 
wiiile  for  one  who  luis.  it  is  simply  comi)lete. 

Grantinjr  that  the  question  of  the  source  of  the  river  is 
between  the  two  streams,  the  in.et  from  Elk  lake  and  the 
stream  entering?  from  the  west  of  this  inlet,  and  it  is  my 
opinion  that  but  one  answer  can  be  ^iven,  and  that  in  favor 
of  the  stream  you  have  called  the  -Infant  Mississippi."  Mr. 
Hopkins  and  I  visited  both  streams  aiul  did  not  hesitate  as 
between  them  to  consider  the  latter  stream  the  larger  and 
in  every  way  more  entitled,  so  far  as  we  could  discover,  to 
the  distinction  you  have  given  it.  While  we  did  not  ascend 
this  stream  very  far,  I  met  there,  at  Itasca,  a  Mr.  Hayes,  a 
surveyor  connected  with  a  Northern  Pacific  K.  K.  land  party, 
who  had  only  a  day  or  two  previous  in  his  business  been  to 
the  trouble  of  \'isiting  the  head  of  the  stream  and  had 
traveled  over  the  entire  tract  between  Hernando  de  Soto 
lake  and  the  Nicollet  lakes.  He  is  a  \  er3'  intelligent  man 
and  does  not  hesitate,  after  his  personal  inspection,  to  pro- 
nounce in  favor  of  the  'Infant*  That  this  will  be  the  ulti- 
mate verdict  as  between  these  two  streams  I  entertain  no 
doubt  whatever. 

"There  is  one  question,  however,  that  I  have  not  .seen 
brought  forward  in  this  discussion  at  all.  It  may  have 
li+tle  bearing,  but  I  should  be  glad  to  have  it  cleared  up  for 
my  personal  satisfaction.  It  a  ^erned  to  me  beyond  question 
that  the  volume  of  water  flowing  out  of  Itasca  at  the  outlet 
was  far  greater  than  the  combined  volume  of  all  the  four 
inlets,  viz:  the  East  arm  inlet,  the  Elk  lake  inlet,  the  Infant 


L'H4  THK    MISSISSM'PI    lilVEU   AND    ITS   SOUUCK. 

Mississippi  inlot  and  the  inlet  marked  lioutwell  creek.  If 
actual  measurement  should  prove  this  to  be  true,  and  it 
seems  to  me  to  be  ])robable,  thus  makin/  the  greater  volum*' 
of  the  outlet  to  como  from  springs  i  ^  the  lake,  would  not 
that  leave  Itasca  as  yet  the  real  source  of  the  Mississippi  r 
Has  this  'volume"  n:easurement  ever  been  made,  or  even 
calculated^  Have  you  any  information  that  will  settle  this 
question?  If  it  should  prove  that  the  inlet  volume  came 
anywhere  near  equaling  the  outlet  volume  then  I  should  un- 
reservedly express  the  opinion  that  th3  "Infant  Mississippi' 
is  the  stream,  the  head  of  which  must  be  called  the  ultimate 
source  of  the  Great  River. 

Very  truly  yours. 

STANLEY   A.  McKAY." 

By   William     McMuUen.    in    1H90.    who   witnessed  copious 

rainfall  sutticient   to  reverse   the  current  of    Chambers' 

creek. 
By  the  Glazier  party  of  1891,  who  reported  on  the  3rd  day 

of  September  that  the   Nicollet  stream    "carries  about 

twice  the  volume  of  water  which  leaves  the  Glazier  (Elk) 

lakei." 
By  Mr.  A.  T.  Warner  and  companions,  in  1H91,  who  report 

in  favor  of  the  Nicollet  lakes. 

Subsequent  examinations  in  1891,  found  Chambers  creek, 
practically  unchanged,  in  its  physical  features. 

It  is  believed  that  by  this  extended  description,  every  iifl- 
portant  feature  of  Chambers  creek  may  be  made  known. 
That  its  short  and  limited  channel  should  not  be  designated 
as  the  principal  stream  above  Itasca  lake,  is  a  conclusion. 


1  SeeMiimuapolis  Tribune.  September  Itrd.  1891. 


THK    COMMISSIONKliS    DKT.M  I.KI)    SlUVKY.  LMk) 

warranted  by  every  hydroi^i'aphic  and  topo^'raphic  fact 
existin<f  there.  C()i)i()us  and  continued  rainfall  in  1H92  has 
swollen  all  the  streams  at  Itasca  lake  tf)  an  ovortlowapro. 
filled  all  the  dry  lake  hods  and  re  supplied  all  lakes  which 
hav<i  been  reduced  by  drouth,  i 

EXPLORATION  OF  liOUTWELL  CREEK. 

From  the  west  shore  of  Itasca  lake  there  is  a  gradual  rise 
in  the  elevation  of  the  surface,  for  two  or  more  miles  until 
the  summitof  the  Hauteur  de  Terrr  is  reached,  which  divides 
the  waters  tributary  to  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Oulf  of 
Mexico.  The  elevation  of  this  summit  above  the  surface 
of  Itasca  lake  averaj^es  about  two  hundred  feet, 
broken  and  hilly,  irre^fular  in  formation,  and  is  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  principally  pine  of  different 
varieties.  At  the  top  of  this  summit,  there  are  ponds,  small 
lakes  and  catch  basins  supplied  entirely  by  precipitation. 
Prom  this  source,  come  the  waters  of  Boutwoll  creek,  which 
has  its  rise  on  the  eastern  slope,  and  in  an  easterly  and 
northeasterly  general  course,  tinds  its  ray  to  the  western 
shore  of  Itasca  lake,  increasing  its  volume  from  numerous 
small  tributaries  coming  in  from  either  side. 

This  creek  was  thoroughly  examined  and  the  general 
impression  that  it  takes  its  rise  from  the  Crescent  springs, 
proved  to  be  erroneous,  though  waters  of  those  springs  find 
an  outlet  to  a  considerable  extent,  into  and  through  its 
channel. 

April  15th,  1889,  its  width,  depth  and  flowage  were  ascer- 
tained: 


1    This  fact  was  ascert  •lined  in  tin-  niontlisnf  May  and  .rune,  during  two  separate 
visits  to  Itasca  lake. 


l'()(j  THK    MISSISSII'I'I    UIVKK    AND    ITS    SOUKCK. 

Width,  near  Itasca  lake I'-i  Uiet. 

Doptli,  at  abov(3  dati' IJ}  inclnjs. 

Rapidity  of  current OO  l(!(!t  per  minute. 

Its  len<^th  and  characteristics  are  as  follows: 

Pron-i  outlet  of  Itasca  lake  to  nujuth  of  Houtwell 

creek 1.3,r,27  feot. 

L<m<^th  of  Boutwell  cnjek ^.700     " 


Total 2:i,;;27  feet. 

The  locality  drained  Vjy  Boutwell  creek  is  rou^'h  and 
broken,  and  in  some  cases  is  difficult  tf)  penetrate  because 
of  the  fir,  taraarac  and  (;edav  forests.  The  creek  is  rapid 
and  deep  in  its  meanderin;rs  from  the  summit  of  th(;  hills, 
its  channel  often  undei-  the;  surface  of  a  thatched  coverin«^, 
makinf:^  its  course  difficult  to  trace  in  many  places.  Its 
.source  is  a  series  of  si)rjnf^s  near  the  center  of  a  marsh  sur- 
rounded by  hills. 

THK  C'liKSCENT   Sl^UIXfiS. 

Half-way  up  th<i  valley  drained  by  Boutwell  creek  is  a 
peculiar  natural  formation,  ori<rinatin<,'  from  utiderf^round 
currents,  supplied  by  the  waters  at  the  summit  of  the  hills 
to  the  westward.  These  currents  havr;  forced  u[)  sand, 
scidiment  and  earthy  substanc;es,  forming?  a  hill  about  forty 
feet  above  the  h)ed  of  Boutwfsll  creek.  The  summit  of  tliis 
hill  is  crescent  shaf)ed.  and  fi'oiii  its  nunn'rous  artesian 
fountains  at  the  toj)  of  the  hill,  flow  very  small  streamlets 
which  soon  disappear.  Its  waters  find  their  way  south  as 
well  as  north  and  contribute  to  the  supply  of  creeks  in 
Nicolhit's  valley  as  well  as  to  Boutwell  cn^ek.  The  time 
occupied  by  the  wat*'r  pressure,  artesian  in  character,  in  the 
formation  of  this  hill,  has,  no  doubt,  b(!en  many  centuries. 


■niK    <J(JMMISSI{)NKUS  l)KTAILi;i)    SITUVKV.  IIOT 

Boutwoll  crcHik  and  tlio  Crcsconl  spriM«cs  ar(!  distinctively 
important  factors  in  tlic  supply  ol'  \\;ilcr  to  Itasca  lak«!. 

T\u'  Crciscont  sprin<,'s  ar<'  a  natuiTil  cui-iosity,  worthy  of 
an  insf)ection  l)y  th*;  advonturcsomc  pcdcsti-ian. 

OTHKi:  CliKKKS. 

Fi'om  a  limiUni  taniarac  swainji  <'Xt<'ndin;^  from  tlu;  \v<is1 
shore  of  Itasca  lake  to  the  noi'thwiird.  immediately  o])posit<' 
Schoolcraft  island,  a  small  ci'cek  comes  in.  This  cre(>k  is  of 
no  special  importance,  is  small  and  limited  in  len<^th  and 
drains  tin;  swanip  from  w  hich  it  issues. 

Floating  Bog  ci'eek  is  of  the  same  i^-eneral  character,  and 
likewise  Sha-wun-ukn  uii;^  creek.  The  ereelcs  north  of 
Schoolcraft  island  partake  more  of  the  (character  of  a  boggy 
drain,  from  the  adjacent  marsh.  The  small  creeks  south  of 
Ozawindib  pf)int  and  north  of  (jJarrison  ],oint  discharg<!  theii 
waters  into  small  and  limited  swamps  and  disappfsar  among 
the  bogs  neai'  the  shores  of  Itasca  lake. 

Th(!  sjjrings  which  are  occasionally  found  ai-ound  the 
shores  of  Ita.sca  lake,  arr;  limited  in  number,  and  <ndy  a  very 
small  fiuantity  of  water  is  discharged  i  *o  th(;  lake  Ijy  them. 
One  appears  under  the  surface  of  the  water  w(;st  of  Turnbull 
point,  and  another  west  of  the  mouth  of  Mary  creek.  The 
two  mentioned  aiv-  the  largest  noticed  upon  ;ui  entires  circuit 
of  the  shore  line,  and  consecjucmtly  it  cannot  be  said  that 
Itasca  lake  "springs  forth"  from  or  ri.ses  -.ip  out  of  the 
earth.  Tli(^  largo  and  important  springs  are  abov(!  and 
beyf)nd. 


26H  TIIK    MISSiSSICI'l     Ul\i;ii    and    its    SOfKCK. 

NICOLLKTS  IXFANT  MISSISSIPPI    KIVKR. 

Fov  the  purpose  ot  makiii*,''  ii  can-ful  and  detailc.'d  survey 
of  the  princii)al  strcMin  at  Ttas<;a  lake,  th(5  camp  of  IIk- 
expedition  was  remevf^d  I'l'oi.'i  i'atierson's  eahin,  at  the  out 
let,  U)  the  Nicollet  sprin<^s,  livo  miles  to  the  southward.  Al 
the  extreme  limit  of  Itasca  lake,  vvl  re  thf;  stream  become-s 
a  part  of  the  lake,  it  is  forty  feet  in  width  and  two  feet  in 
depth;  narrowing  as  y(ju  ascend  the  stream,  it  was  found  to 
be  three  feet  in  depth,  tw(mty  feet  in  width,  with  a  brisk 
current,  a  short  distance  fi-f)ui  the  lake.  The  character  of 
the  locality  is  a  deep  valley,  somewhat  swampy  alonj^  the 
stream,  with  prominent  hills  on  eitlKu*  side,  heavily  timberoil 
with  the  native  pine.  These  hills  also  appeal*  in  d(!tached 
groups  in  the  tamarac  and  fir  thickets,  sometimes  a  hundnnl 
feet  in  heij^ht,  and  the  ])ine  a  hundred  feet  higher  than  th<,' 
hills  beneath  their  stately  and  spreading  branches,  making 
the  locality  easy  (n  access  and  not  ditticult  to  closely 
examine.  Passing  up  the  stream,  the  explorer  is  impressed 
with  its  imixjrtance,  as  compared  with  all  the  other  streams 
found  ther(;,  Vjy  its  sharply  defined  Vjanks,  its  winding, 
meandering  channel,  deeply  cut  down  into  the  stratum  to  a 
sandy,  gravelly  bed,  with  every  appearance  and  character- 
istic of  the  Mississippi  below  Ita.sca  lake.  It  has  sandbars, 
sharp  angles  in  its  channel,  deep  and  shallowing  currents, 
and  all  the  more  striking  features  of  a  larger  river.  Largf 
trees  found  near  its  banks  incline  toward  the  stream;  a  vari 
ety  of  fish,  large  and  small,  won;  found  in  its  waters;  the 
mink,  otter  and  muskrat  abounded,  and  wild  ducks  of  many 
northern  varieties  ^vere  from  time  to  vime  noticed  in  its 
waters.      Trees  have  been  felled  in  several  places  across  its 


'IlIK     ('(JMMISSI()NKI;"S     l»K'rAII,KI)     Sl"Ii\EV. 


209 


V*^-^" 


1 1;  Ife^ 


.To 


■fill':  MississiiMM    iM\i':k  ani»   its  sni'icci;. 


I>u.mUn  !o  |it'niiit  i»r  |i;iss;i;.''<' on  loot.  I'|ii)ii  IIh-  i«'Iii(>^;iI  oI 
1li(!S<'  t  r*'(;s,  <-;iii(»<'s  ini;.'"lil  !)<■  |)io|»c||(rrl  nrjirly  1  wo  juiN-s  np 
this  |»ritir-if»;il  clijiriin-l  Irom  llii>,c;i  liilo-. 

TIm'S*' :.',r«' ;i  port  ion  of  tli<!  chjifuclcrist  ics  of  the  strciiiri. 
itKJic.tliri;.''  its  ixTinaiH-ncv'  utid  iin|»or1,;iii<'«!,  uiid,  wlial  is  tine 
ot"  no  olln'f  s1r<';ii'i  within  IIk;  basin,  it,  luis  three  aninfiit 
l)rarich('s,  llowin;^;  in  Iroui  Ih*;  lici^hts  of  huid,  which  mult 
iiiciit  its  ini|)oi'tan<-<'  ;in<l  |MTniani'nry  ;iho\<' any  ot  Imt  st  ream 
rouri<l  there  Tliese  are  Deniaiay  ereek,  Hr)vvai(l  ereek  and 
S[)rinj.(  lii(l;.''e  crtu-k.  each  siista.ine(l  hy  nnniei-oiis  spririe->,. 
sharply  indieatin;^  aftesiaii  pressure  1  foni  the  lakes  hi<,^hei- 
up  liie  llii:d<  of  the  Itasca  Mioi'aine.  A  detached  upper  I'orU- 
of  the  ri\<'r.  flows  into  Xicoll(?t/s  ujjper  lak'e,  reappeai'inj^  at 
theunifpie  Nicollet  sprinirs.  iindei'  a  narrow,  natural  bri(J;.'e, 
a  singular  lonnation  of  the  eaiHis  surface. 

The  lines  of  measurement  wi^re  e.xt.enderj  throughout,  the 
entire  localit\\  thereby  sermi-in^  1  he  distances,  le(i<rt|is  and 
elevations;  lakes  were  sounded  for  their  depth,  t.he  sti'eams 
w<!i'e  measured  loi-  widtli.  depth  and  llowa-^'e,  and  the  top-> 
;jrrapliy  was  c;iref'idly  tak'en.  e\en  to  the  extent ,  when  found 
iKJCOSsary.  of  opetdn;j-  pa,ssa^<;s  thr()U<^h  the  tliickets  ai'()und 
Nicollet  \a,l|ev.  which  practically  occupies  a,  depression  e.v- 
t(jndin^''  from  Itasca  to  the  most  e|e\aled  lakes  al)C\'j'.  A 
line  penetrating'  the  wilde)-ness  j.-fim  Moi-risoii  liill,  directly 
to  th<;  norlli  sl'ore  ol'  iletniMido  de  Soto  lak'e,  disc,o\'er'ed  the 
e.xistence  and  cont  irjuanci  of  a  spur  of  tlie  lldnhu  r  <li-  'rcn<\ 
sharply  separatiu;^  the  waters  of  Nicollet  \a,lley  from  those 
of  I'jik-  lake.  It  was  also  (lis(;o\'ered  that,  from  the  Missis- 
sippi spriijf^s  to  Itasca.  Iak<;  numerou■^  plact^s  exisl  where  lh<; 
wai<!!"s  l)ubble  up  and  ooze  out  \v(.a\  tliebaseof  the  hills, 
foriniii-^'  .->mall    streandet-,    llowiiiLr    inwarri  to  the    lowest  de 


-.     I. 


sir-'- ■  vvT-ef  ^i. 


v.^4- 


2*—.  ". 


m.-'-^'-c* 


.  jt. 


THE    COMMISSIONEK'S   DKTAILKl)    SURVI^Y.  -71 

pression  occupied  by  the  main  stream,  and  thus,  while  the 
tirst  flowagre  of  water,  down  the  incline,  from  tlie  north  end 
of  Whipple  lake,  is  but  a  foot  in  width  and  scarcely  more  in 
depth,  the  stream  ^appearing  from  place  to  place,  as  noted 
on  the  chart,  gx-adually  increases  in  width,  dei)th.  flowage, 
rapidity  of  current  and  importance,  as  the  waters  accumu- 
late, from  place  to  place,  until  finally  when  Itasca  lake  is 
reached,  this  veritable  and  interesting  "Infant  River,"  has 
completely  ushered  its  waters  into  a  growing  importance, 
not  to  be  again  lessened  to  its  entry  into  the  sea. 

The  lines  of  measurement  extended  to  every  locality,  gave 
the  following  re.sults: 

From  the  centre  of  the  channel  at  the  outlet  of  Itasca  Hive 
to  the  mouth  of  Nicollet's 

Infant  Mississipj)i 17.ltiH)  feet. 

Thence  up  the  channel  to  mouth  of  Uonuiray 

creek 3, 797     '  • 

Thence  to  Nicollet's  lower  l;tke 2.760     '* 

Thence  to  Nicollet's  middle  lake l.OaO     " 

Thence  to  Nicollet  springs    6l»0     " 

Thence  to  Nicollet's  upper  lake 31.')     •' 

Thence  to  centre  of  Mississippi  springs .".26.')     '• 

Thence  to  north  end  of  Whipple  lake 1,320     '' 

Thence  to  inner  Hank  of  the  Haiifoir  dr  Tcrre  at 

south  shore  of  Hernando  do  Soto  lake 12.060     " 

Total,  to  extreme  limit  of  Mississippi  basin.  . .      46,089     " 

Following  the  main  channel  up  through  the  trough  of  the 
depression,  from  which  it  takes  its  rise,  the  party  reached 
the  highest  and  farthest  waters  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
nearly  nine  miles  above  and  beyond  the  channel  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi at  the  north  end  of  Itasca  lake. 


'27-2 


THK    MISSISSIIMM    UIVKIi    AND    ITS    SOIRCK. 


y.  K 


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TMI'.  r((MMis>i'tNi.K"s    I  )i  ;i  ,\  1 1  ,i;i  >    si  u\  i.n 


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I'.i:  well  STK'KAM^. 

I)ui'iii^''  I li.'  |iri)V'ri'>.N of  I  hi>  tii«'.i>ii it'iiM'tit.  iniiiiiTou'^  l>r;iiirli 
^tnsirris.  s|iriiijfs  itrid  hikes  Wfi'i-  mth-d.  ><'\fi-;il  <it  vvlii<!i 
li;iv«'  not  |»i'<'\  i()u-.l  y  Ix'in  hiid  down  upon  t  In- cliurt^.  iiiiionv 

wliicli  arc  I>«Mii;ti"i\'  ir U.  Spriiiir  liidifn  ;iijd  its  |M'(idi;iriti«--., 

:in(l  si'\('ral  l;ik«'S. 

Th*'  h'n^rtli  ot  l><'iii;ii;iy  i|-..ck  i-. .'i.'.t.'iO  Ic*-!. 

'I'h<f  Icn^tli  of  llo\\;ird  cifck-  is ;;.7;i'.t 

'rh«>  l(Hi;,'tli  of  Sprin;,'  llidji't- (■(•••i-lv  i-^ '.lOO 

D<!iii;u'ay  ••r<'<di,  wliicli  tak'cs  it>  rise  im-jii-  lljiy^  lid<i'.  lias 
several  little  br'anclies  coiniiiL'"  in  tr-om  mitiii-foiis  spcin^s 
alorij^  its  coiirsi',  dim'  oI'  wliidi  ln-ads  near  the  ( 'n -scent, 
springs.  \>y  wliidi  it  is  supplied;  Howard  cieeK-  foi  ins  a  siii- 
face  (Iraina'TO.  lor  a  sliarpl.\  defined  ravine,  drawing  its  sup 
ply  from  numerous  sprinj^^s,  and  Sprint'  I'id^'e  crei'|<  is  but  a 
small  hi'ooU'.  the  waters  ot  which  How  directly  out  i»f  th'' 
earth,  from  the  summit  of  a  iou;^  Spring,'  rid^e.  the  uplwaxal 
of  a  series  «»f  sprinj^s.  extendinir  ahmj;  the  ridire  .\icoll"ts 
lower  lake  is  small  and  unimportatit.  while  his  middle  laK'e 
is  a,  permarionl  and  l»eaiitifid  sheet  ol  water,  twenty  ti\c  feet 
in  «leptli,  oblonir  in  form,  pointed  at  lt•^  north  extremity,  and 
is  sustained  h.s  1  he  constant  Mow  r)r  uumeroiis  sprini;s,  somt; 
<i\'  which  were  not<!d  in  little  pits  at  the  Imttom  of  the  laK'e. 
near  the  slif)re.  and  the  stream.  disco\er«d  h.v  Xicollet. 
coiries  into  it,  at  its  soulhern  e.vtremity  from  the  Nicollet 
sjiriti^s.  undonhtedly  the  place  wln're  Xicollet,  in  l^:!'),  noted 
the  waters  ••oozing  frr)rM  the  bases  of  the  hills."  At  the  top 
of  the  hill  there  -situated,  is  the  small  body  of  water,  with  a 
brisk  and  rapidly  tlowiuL'  iidet.  and  wo  \isib|e  out  let.  u  hch 
-18 


274 


THK   MISSISSIPPI    KIVEU   AND    US    SOURCE. 


has  been  hesitatingly  selected  as  Nicollet's  upper  lake,  for 
there  is  much  doubt  if  he  ever  saw  the  place. 

Continuing  up  through  the  trough  of  the  basin,  the  Mis- 
sissippi springs,  Floating  Moss  lake.  Garrison's  Beavei* 
daai  and  Whipple  lake,  are  noted  as  the  most  striking 
hydrographic  characteristics  of  the  locality,  below  which 
the  springs  and  swamps  occur  and  above  which  no  springs 
and  no  swamps  are  found,  and  this  fact  was  noted  in  all  its 
peculiarities.  Thence  is  reached  The  Triplets,  Morrison, 
Mikenna,  The  Picard,  Hernando  de  Soto  and  other  lakes  at 
the  summit  of  the  hills,  with  constantly  receding  waters, 
fluctuating  until  re-supplied  and  again  to  recede,  while  the 
lakes,  from  Whipple  lake,  down  the  depression  of  the 
incline,  similar  to  Itasca  lake,  never  recede,  but.  on  the 
contrary,  sometimes  rise  in  their  surface  elevations,  with- 
out the  intervention  of  storms. 

ELEVATIONS. 

The  elevations  above  the  surface  of  the  water  at  Itasca 
lake  were  carefully  noted  from  actual  coi-rected  lines  of 

level  as  follows: 

Elevation  above 
At  surface  of  water  of  Itasca  lake. 

Nicollet's  Lower  lake 3  feet. 

Nicollet's  Middle  lake 4    '• 

Nicollet's  springs 19    " 

Nicollet's  Upper  lake 39    •  • 

Mississippi  springs 78    " 

Floating  Moss  lake 91     •  • 

W^hipple  lake 94    •  • 

The  North  Triplet  (at  low  water) 98    " 

Morrison,  Hernando  de  Soto,  Mikenna,  Little  Elk, 

and  other  lakes  (at  low  water) 101    •' 


IfetScii-L, 


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// 


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PROFILE  OF  ELEVATIONS  ABOVE  THE  SEA   LEVEL  FROM  ITASCA  LAKE    TO  HERNANDO  DE    SOTO    LAKE.      REDUCED  FROM  AN  ACTUAL  LINE 

OF   LEVELS  IN   THE    FIELD,  BY  J,   V.   BROWER,    COMMISSIONER,   1889. 


THE   commissioner's    DETAILED   SURVEY.  1^7.') 

It  has  recently  been  discovered  that  the  lake  marked  on 

the  chart  of  1891  as   '  "Allen  lake"  was  formerly  a  part  of 

Hernando    de    Soto    lake,    and    the   name  was  improperly 

applied. 

NOTABLE  SPRINGS. 

The  lai'gest  and  most  important  springs  of  the  Itasca 
Basin,  are  situated  along  its  principal  stream,  and  for  conven- 
ient purposes  of  identification  have  been  designated  as 
follows: 

Mississippi  springs Below  Floating  Moss  lake. 

Nicollet  springs Below  Nicollet's  Upper  lake. 

Spring  Ridge  springs Above  Nicollet's  Lower  lake. 

Crescent  springs North  of  Demaray  creek. 

SOUNDINGS. 

Soundings  for  depths  of  several  lakes  were  taken  with  the 
following  results: 

Nicollet's  Middle  lake 25  feet . 

Whipple  lake 2\     " 

Morrison  lake 40 

Hernando  de  Soto  lake -0     " 

The  lowest  depression  at  Morrison  lake  placed  the  bottom 
of  the  lake  sixty-one  feet  higher  than  the  surface  of  Itasca 
lake,  and  this  ascertained  fact  constituted  a  simple  explana- 
tion of  nature's  hydrographic  cause  and  effect,  as  demon- 
strated by  the  existence,  immediately  to  the  northward  and 
lower  down,  of  numerous  springs  and  streams  springing 
forth  from  the  bases  of  the  hills. 

The  average  width  of  Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi  from 
Itasca  lake  to  Nicollet's  Lower  lake,  is  nine  feet,  and  the 
current  of  this  stream,  in  its  mean  average,  carries  more 
than  double  the  amount  of  water,  found  flowing  there  in  any 


l7tj  THK    MISSISSIPIT    KIVEU    AND    ITS    ROL'KCK. 

other  stream.     In   If^hH.  it  carried  more  water  tlum  ;iU  the 
other  streams  combined. 

Since  it  was  ascertained  beyond  any  reasonable  doubt, 
ihat  Nicollet  discovered  and  laid  down  upon  his  chart,  the 
largest  and  longest  stream  of  the  locality,  an  interesting 
and  painstaking  examination  was  had,  to  learn  whence  this 
stream  is  sustained,  in  its  perennial  existence,  resulting  in 
tlij  discovery  of  a  headwater  system  not  heretofore  known 
to  exist  as  such. 

THE  ca^EATER  ULTIMATE  RESERVOIR. 

The  abundance  of  the  water  supply  at  and  below  "Whipple 
lake,  the  numerous  springs  and  the  ultimate  gathering  cf 
the  water  into  a  principal  stream  bed,  the  gradation  of  ele- 
vations above  the  sea  level  in  a  conspicuous  and  immediate 
rotation,  up  the  inner  flanks  of  the  Hauteurs  de-s  Terres,  from 
the  Nicollet  lakes  to  the  summit  above,  the  old  creek  beds 
at  the  Triplet  lakes,  one  leading  from  Little  Elk  lake,  an  J 
another  between  Floating  Moss  lake  and  the  Missi3:^ip;>i 
springs,  the  character  of  the  sandy,  gravelly  stratum,  the 
enormous  pressure  from  a  large  elevated  bod}^  of  water, 
seeking  its  level, and  a  careful  examination  oi  all  .opographic 
and  hydrographic  features,  finally  made  the  conclusion  an 
easy  task  in  the  presence  of  an  unalterable  conviction  that 
all  of  the  several  bodies  of  water  from  Hernando  de  Soto 
and  Morrison  lakes,  through  the  Triplets.  Whipple.  Floating 
Moss  and  Nicollet's  UpptM-  and  Middle  lakes,  constituted  a 
Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir,  the  natural  cisterns,  by  which 
and  through  which,  the  ]irecipitated  waters  infiltrate  and 
percolate,  through  conduits  of  nature,  gathering,  by  a 
natui'al  process,  as  perfect  as  any  mechanical  contrivance 


Of  /Tie- 
•M.  i  SS  i  SS  thh  i    Op  r  i  njs 

^  at  fke. 

.'Vif         J. VI 

V'^f^^^      ^^"""J  "i"^-?  remits  ^•^•/ace.yf»r,„jt; 


S  I.  ..     Jf/       , 
t- f^    ■■ 

I  L    .     Cfd  ^ 
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Ifortk  T,ihl<t 


•J'HK    COMMISSIONKU  S    DKTAILKD    SfliVKV.  _.  < 

v.'ould  luako  possible,  into  the  utmost  limit  of  the  remot<»st 
headwater  branches  of  the  Mississippi  rivei-  at  tlie  ultimate 
source.  Tliis  Ultimate  Reservoir  is  situated  within  an  Ulti- 
mate Bowl,  a->  distinct  as  is  the  UjS3rv'oir  itself,  and,  in  all 
its  physical  features,  it  brinj^s  to  light  the  hidden  secrets  of 
the  true  source. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CONSIDERATIONS. 

The  area  covered  by  the  lakes  of  the  Greater  Ultimate 
Reservoir,  computed  by  official  surveys  and  estimates,  is  as 
follows: 

Hernando  de   Soto  lake 2'2C  acres 

Morrison  lake 12;" 

Whipple.  Floating  Moss  and  other  lakes 155 

Total :*■.{) 

The  elevations  above  the  sea  level  at  the  (Greater  Ultimate 
Reservoir: 

Hernando  de  Soto  lake 1.558  feet. 

Morrison  lake 1,558  " 

Whipple  lake 1.551 

Floating  Moss  lake 1, 548  •  ■ 

The  Mississippi  springs 1.535  •• 

NicoUefs  upper  lake 1.496  •• 

Nicollet's  springs 1.476  •• 

Nicollet's  middle  lake 1,461  •• 

TRUE  LENGTH  OP  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER. 

Gulf  of  Mexieo  to  Itasca  lake 2.546.52  miles. 

Thence  to  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir 6.48 


Total 2,553.00 

The  mean  average  descent  of  the  water  from  Whipple 

lake  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  is  a  trifle  more  than  7i  inches 
per  mile. 


L'lS  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

Other  distances  are  as  follows: 

Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Elk  lake 2.549.00  miles 

(rulf  of  Mexico  to  head  of  Boutwell  creek..  2,r)50.74 

Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Mary  lake 2,.')")  1.50 

Gulf  of  Mexico  t(j  head  of  Howard  creek 2, 552.02 

THE  POSITION  OP  THE  ITASCA  BASIN. 

From  time  to  time,  by  Lieut.  Allen.  J.  N.  Nicollet  nnd 
Julius  Chambers,  the  latitude  and  the  longitude  of  the  Basin 
have  been  obtained,  with  somewhat  ditferent  results,  caused, 
no  doubt,  by  long  and  rough  journeys  necessary  to  reach 
the  place,  occasioning  injury  and  disjilacement  to  the  deli- 
cate instruments  necessary  for  correct  astronomical  observa- 
tions. Twenty  live  observations  were  noted  at  Schoolcraft 
island  and  Park's  cabin  by  this  expedition,  with  results 
slightly  different  from  those  mentioned.  The  results  of  the 
twenty-five  observations  are  not  strictly  reliable  and  accu 
rate,  and  for  that  reason  are  not  now  included  in  this  report, 
a  preference  being  had  for  the  standard  parallels,  correc- 
tion, township  and  sectional  surveys  of  the  United  States 
government,  oificiai  and  permanent  in  their  character, 
which  were  adopted  as  a  base  of  operations,  with  results 
eminently  satisfactory  and  reliably  correct. 

By  dead  reckoning.  Mr.  Alfred  J.  Hill  computes  the  true 
position  of  Schoolcraft  island  at  latitude  47''  13'  10";  long. 
95°  12'. 

The  position  of  Brower  island,  at  Hernando  de  Soto  lake. 
is:  North  latitude  47°  8'  50".  Longitude  west  from  Green- 
wich, 95°  12' 48",  as  computed  by  dead  reckoning  from  dis- 
tances ascertained  south  and  west  from  Schoolcraft  island. 
The  two  islands-  mentioned  are  the  most  prominently  situ- 


'J  HE  COMMISSIONEUS    DETAILED   SUItVEV.  1^711 

aled.  of  liny  found  there,  each  of  which  are  surrounded  by 
the  main  body  of  the  lakes  in  which  they  are  situated. 

METEOROLOGICAL  CONDITIONS. 

The  results  of  observations  for  meteorological  facts  in 
Northern  Minnesota  are  so  permanently  established  and 
well  known,  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  or  believed  to 
be  necessary,  to  add  information,  or  the  results  of  further 
observation,  upon  questions  of  atmospheric  phenomena. 
The  district  of  country  reachint?  from  Lake  Superior  to  the 
Red  river  of  the  north,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  located  the 
Itasca  Basin,  is  susceptible  to  various  meteorolof^ic  clianges. 
a  tropical  sun  of  100"  above,  and  an  arctic  frost  at  40'  below 
zero,  constituting  -he  two  extremes,  and  these  extremes  of 
August  and  February  are  closely  reached  each  calendar 
year,  for  brief  periods  only,  the  mean  average  ranging 
>lightly  above  40  .  Fahrenheit.  These  conditions  permit 
ihe  existence  of  a  verdure  of  surpassing  beauty,  durmg  the 
summer  months,  and  a  sheet  of  ice  and  snow  from  December 
until  March.  The  ice  and  snow  at  Itasca  have  a  percepti- 
ble effect  upon  the  waters  seeking  an  outlet  from  the 
heights  of  land  to  the  lowest  depression  of  the  basin  below, 
in  that  they  cause  the  formation  of  numerous  ice  blocks  by 
congealed  overflowage.  thus  closing  for  the  frozen  season 
several  of  the  smaller  creeks,  occasionally  causing  new 
channels,  or  a  modification  of  old  ones.  The  principal 
affluent  is  never  closed  by  frost.  As  to  precipitation, 
seasons  vary,  and  no  oppjrtunity  was  afforded  for  accurate 
observation,  for  the  correct  results  of  a  year,  for  the  reason 
that  at  no  time  did  the  sojourn  at  Itasca  exceed  sixty  con- 
tinuous days.     Storms   frequently   prevail,    deep   snows   in 


i''^<»  rtii;  Mississii'in  uivkk  and  its  soriici:. 

winter  aiul  heavy  raiut'all  in  siuiuncr.  oarh  ()ccuiTiii»c  pe- 
riodically. During  the  montli  of  Au<j:ust.  iJ^ND.  a  tremendous 
electric  storm  occurred,  of  sutticient  powei-  to  twist  asunder 
thf;  tops  of  trees  and  uproot  numerous  exposed  «;rt)\vths. 
The  camp  of  the  party  was  seriously  threatened,  but  for- 
tunately escaped  material  injury.  A  wind  storm  occurred 
in  April.  18H9.  when  to  traverse  the  lines  of  survey,  was 
daUj^erous  because  of  falling  timber. 

As  to  evaporation,  what  is  true  of  the  entire  northwest,  is 
also  true  of  the  Itasca  lake  region,  a^^d  the  same  causes,  and 
ettects  following  therefrom,  are.  comparatively  speaking, 
the  same  throughout  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  Min- 
nesota, and  the  qu<>stion  has  been  so  sufficiently  examined, 
that  no  attemi)t  has  been  made  tc  add  to  the  information 
already  extant.  It  .seems  needless  to  add  that  evaporation, 
and  also  precipitation,  differ  .somewhat  from  year  to  year,  in 
accordance  with  meteorologic  conditions  prevailing  at  the 
time. 

The  four  principal  seasons  of  the  year,  applicable  to  a 
temperate  zone,  occur  with  distinct  regularity,  the  Indian 
summer  of  September  and  October,  often  continuing  into 
the  month  of  November,  constituting  the  most  desirable 
season  to  visit  the  headwaters  of  the  river. 

INFLOW  AND  OUTFLOW  AT  ITASCA  LAKE. 

The  Rev.  Stanley  A.  McKay  has  suggested  a  test  of  the 
measurement  and  computation  of  the  water  flowing  out 
from  Itasca  lake,  as  compared  with  the  amount  of  the 
inflow. 

Particular  attention  was  directed  to  this  subject,  in  1>^81>. 
and  at  that  time,  the  inflow  appeared  to  be  fully  equal  to  the 


7. 

v. 


THE   COMMISSIONERS    DETAILED    SURVEY.  2H1 

outflow,  the  Mississii)pi  river  at  the  time  being  very  low  on 
account  of  a  protracted  drought  then  prevailing.  During 
the  heavy  rain  storms  of  recent  occurrence  there,  the  inflow 
did  not  equal  the  outflow.  Computed  from  a  basis,  covering 
a  protracted  period  of  time,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  the 
supply  of  water  flowing  into  Itasca,  naturally  ^  u'ntains  an 
equal  flowage  th<'refrom,  but  no  greater.  However,  it  might 
be  well  to  remember  that  the  process  of  evaporation,  at 
Itasca  lake,  has  some  effect  upon  the  displacement  of 
water,  and  it  would  require  tests  and  computations  hardly 
obtainable  at  this  time  for  an  exact  determination  of  the 
question. 

Itasca  h  ke  is  similar  to  other  lakes,  through  which  the 
river  passes,  the  outflow,  as  a  general  rule,  being  controlled 
by  the  inflow,  during  seasons  equalling  the  mean  average  of 
meteorological  disturbances  and  influences. 

The  several  springs  which  appear  at  and  about  Itasca 
lake  are  small  and  of  but  little  importance  and  it  cannot  be 
said  of  the  lake  that  it  "springs  forth"  from  the  earth, 
because  it  depends  largely  upon  surface  drainage  in  its 
supply  to  the  outflowing  river. 

SURFACE  FLOWAGE. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  measurement  of  streams, 
creeks  and  brooks,  and  an  examination  of  their  character 
and  permanency,  at  Itasca  lake,  thirty-nine  running  streams 
and  brooks  were  found,  principally  branches  and  feeders  to 
the  main  streams,  within  the  basin.  The  old  dry  creek  beds 
of  past  decades  aie  too  numerous  to  describe,  as  they  are  of 
no  importance,  except  in  case  of  flood,  which  would  hardly 
be  a  proper  criterion  upon  which  to  base  a  conclusion  as  to 


282  THE    MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

the  permanent  origin  of  water  supply,  sufficient  to  consti- 
tute the  source  of  a  river.  It  is  a  striking  feature  of  the 
Itasca  Basin  that  each  and  every  stream,  creek  and  brook 
there  situated,  descending  from  the  heights  of  land,  flow 
into  Itasca  lake,  coming  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 
Thus  combined  they  constitute  and  for'n  the  largest  lake  of 
the  locality,  having  the  lowest  surface  elevation. 

TRADITIONARY     AND     GEOGRAPHIC    NOMENCLA- 
TURE. 

The  Mississippi  river  has  been  known  by  numerous  desig 
nations.  Prior  to  Soto's  expedition,  the  savage  tribes 
applied  names  to  their  respective  possessions  along  its 
banks.  Prom  the  Cortes  map  we  have  Espiritu  Sancto — a 
name  now  found  to  be  not  applicable  to  the  Mississippi, 
for  Cortes  never  saw  or  named  the  river,  and  in  nomencla- 
tural  construction,  this  name  is.  improperly  applied  to  the 
Mississippi. 

Of  the  numerous  names  of  record,  which  have  been  applied 
to  the  river,  the  following  are  noted.  The  list,  however,  is 
by  no  means  exhaustive. 

Meche  Sebe — The  original  Algonquin  designation. 

Chucagua— An  Indian  name,  noted  by  Soto's  expedition. 

Tamaliseu— An  Indian  name,  noted  by  Soto's  expedition. 

Tapatu — An  Indian  name,  noted  by  Soto's  expedition. 

Mico — An  Indian  name,  noted  by  Soto's  expedition. 

Rio  Grande — A  Spanish  designation,  noted  by  Soto's  ex- 
pedition. 

"The  River" — A  Spanish  designation,  note^  by  Soto's  ex- 
pedition. 

Palisado — A  Spanish  designation,  from  floating  trees  seen 
near  its  mouth,  giving  the  appearance  of  a 
palisade. 


THE   COMMISSIONERS   DETAILED    SURVEY.  283 

Escondido — A  Spanish  designation;  hidden   from  sight  by 

the  innumerable  i)asses,  cut  offs.  bayous,  etc.. 

at  and  above  its  mouth,  making  it  difficult  to 

discover  the  main  channel. 
St.  Louis— A  French  designation. 
Conception — A  French  designation,  by  Marquette. 
Buade — So  called  by  Joliet  after  the  family  name  of  Gov. 

Frontenac. 
Colbert — After  Jean   Baptiste  Colbert,  an  eminent   French 

statesman. 
Mischipi — Nicolas  Freytas'  visit  to  the  Quivira  tribes,  1661. 
Messipi — Father  AUouez.  in  Relation  of  1667. 
Meschasipi — Hennepin  map  of  1697. 
Michi  Sepe — Labal's  version. 
Misisipi — Labatt's  version. 
Missisipi — Marquette's  version. 
Mississipi — A  later  French  version. 
Mississippi — American  version  of  19th  century.  ^ 

The  list  is  by  no  means  an  exhaustive  catalogue.  There 
have  been  names  applied  to  the  riv^er  which  will  never  be 
known. 

Of  the  names  at  the  headwaters,  Capt.  Carver  placed 
White  Bear  lake,  whatever  lake  that  may  mean,  as  the 
source;  the  traders  in  Morrison's  time  knew  Elk  lake  (now 
Itasca)  to  be  the  source.     Pike  was  deceived  into  believing 


1  Recently  the  followiiij;  was  puljlislietl  as  a  version,  but  the  name  of  the  author 
was  omitted: 

"From  the  niontli  of  the  Oliio  to  tlie  source,  it  was  Icriown  ti>  tlie  Indians  as  Pe- 
hc-ton-at,  wlilcli  in  tlie  Algontiuin  tongue  sisnilied,  al)o<le  or  1  :il)itation  of  furies: 
several  of  tlie  hriinclies  were  desiirnated  l)y  names  wliieli.  in  our  laa}?aa};e,  would 
mean  'little  fury."  •hi;;  fury."  old  fury,'  ete.,  'the  sippi,'  or  'sepe,'  being  afterwards 
added  to  Pe-lie-ton-at.  simply  meaiiinii  river. 

As  tothe  real  meaniu};  of  the  word  I>.  M.  (jould  says:  'An  analysis  of  the  word 
Mississippi  will  show  tliat  it  does  not  mean  'Father  of  Waters'  at  all,  thus: 

•Mis-sisk— grass.  Mis-sisk-kt>-on— weeds.  Mis-sisk-ke— medical  herl)s,  and  Mis- 
ku-tuk.  The  broad  bottom  lands  of  the  river  were  called  Mis-ku-tuk;  the  trilx-s 
along  the  river  were  called  Mis-shu-tan,  signifying  'meadow  people":  thus  the  lit- 
eral meaning  of  the  word  is  'the  river  of  meadows  of  grass.'  " 


-84  THE   iMISSISSIPI'l    UIVEK   AND    ITS   SOUKCE. 

that  Leech  lake  was  the  principal  water,  and  it  remained 
for  Gen.  Cass  to  learn  of  La  Bichc  as  the  name,  and  first 
make  its  approximate  location  known  to  civilized  humanity. 
Beltrami's  Julia  lake  existed  as  the  source,  in  one  mind  only, 
that  of  the  author  of  the  Countess'  Letters,  while  Morrison 
in  his  letter  refers  to  the  river  above  Cass  lake  as  "Travers 
river."  and  above  Bemejigemug  as,  "River  Ln  Biche." 

Schoolcraft  and  Boutwell  in  the  manner  heretofore  men- 
tioned coined  the  final  name  for  Itasca.  However,  an  inter- 
esting incident  might  well  be  related:  The  first  words 
given  by  Mr.  Boutwell,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  Verum 
(true).  Caput  (head),  but  substituted  the  stronger  word, 
Veritas,  (truth).  Had  the  first  suggestion  been  followed, 
that  of  Verum-caput — 'Rumca'"  would  to-day  be  the  name, 
and  the  word  "Itasca"  unknown. 

The  names  at  the  Itasca  Basin  after  whom,  and  by  whom 
suggested,  are  as  follows: 

Omoskos   Sogiagon — The    Ojibway    name.       By  aboriginal 

tribes. 
Lac  La  Biche — The   French   translation,    by    the    French 

traders. 
Elk  Lake' — The  English  translation,  after  Morrison's  time. 
Itasca  lake— Schoolcraft  and  Boutwell.  from    Veritas  Caput. 

in  1832. 
The  Infant  Mississippi- — Named  by  J.  N.  Nicollet,  in  1836. 

Nicollet;s  lower  lake,      ]  ^he  Commissioner's  Report^  after 
Nicollet  s  middle  lake.    ;-         j  ,.    ,,.     ,, 
Nicollet's  upper  lake.     J  -^ '  ^-  Nicollet. 


1  Continued  as  a  designation  in  1876,  to  a  minor  lalce  of  the  locality,  by  Sur. 
Gen'l.  Baker,  an  ofBcial  of  tiie  United  States  government. 

2  Also  called  by  Mr.  Nicollet,  "The  Cradled  Hercules." 

3  "The  Commissioner's  Report."  when  used,  in  all  cases  refers  to  the  action 
taken,  from  time  to  time,  durinjr  the  present  examination,  by  tlie  Cunimissioner 
iu  <harge. 


THK   L'OMMISSIONKUS    DKTAILKl)   SUKVKY.  l^"*.") 

North.   East   and    West   ai'in   of   Itasca   lake— The  Commis- 
sioner's Report. 
Bear  point — Named  by  Peter  Turnbull.  tirst  resident. 
Turnbull    point — The  Commissioner's   Report,   alter   Peler 

Turnbull. 
Floating  Bog  bay— J.  V.  Broker's  party  of  1H88. 
Ozawindib      point — The      Commissioner's      Report.      Alter 

Schoolcraft's  guide. 
Garrison  point — The    Commissioner's  Report.     After  O.  E. 

Garrison. 
Rhodes   hill — The    Commissioner's     Report.      After    Piof. 

Rhodes,  photographer  of  the  expedition. 
Morrison  hill — Tiie    Commissioner's  Report.      After    Wm. 

Morrison. 
Island    creek — The      Commissioner's      Report.       Oi)posite 

Schoolcraft  island. 
Mary  creek — Named  by  Peter  Turnbull.      After  Mrs.  Mary 

Turnbull. 
Chambers  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.     After  Julius 

Chambers. 
Boutwell  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.     After  Rev. 

W.  T.  Boutwell. 
Mary    valley — The    Commissioner's    Report.      After    Mrs. 

Mary  Turnbull. 
Nicollet  valley — The  Commissioner's  Report.      After  J.  X. 

Nicollet. 
The  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir  Bowl — The  Commissioner's 

Report.     The  most  remote  and  elevated  water-shed 

in  the  Mississippi  river  basin,  where  the  river  takes 

its  rise,  at  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir. 
The  Lesser  Ultimate  Reservoir  Bowl — The  Commissioner's 

Report.     At  Mary  Valley,   where  exists   the   Lesser 

Ultimate  Reservoir  of  the  Mississippi  river  basin. 
The  Midway  re.servoir — The  Commissioner's  Report.        At 

Clarke  lake  and  its  neighboring  waters. 
Crescent  springs — The  Commissioner's   lieport.       Cre.scent 


286  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVKK    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

shaped  at  the  summit  ot'  a  hill,  jifradually   formed  by 

artesian  pressure. 
Elk  springs — The   Commissioner's  Report.        At  the   east 

shore  of  Elk  lake. 
Elk  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.      At  S.  W.  angle  of 

Elk  lake. 
Elk  pool — The  Commissioner's  Report.      In  the  dense  forest. 
Elk  lake^ — Named  by  Gen'l.  James  H.  Baker,  in  1876. 
Clarke  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.   After  Hopewell 

Clarke. 
Clarke  pool — At  Clarke  creek. 
Chambers     bay  —  Commissioner's     Report.       After    Julius 

Chambers. 
Siegfried  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.     After  A.  H. 

Siegfried. 
Demaray  creek — The  Coiumissioner's  Report.     After  Mrs. 

Georgiana  Domaray.  surviving  daughter  of  William 

Morrison. 
Howard   creek— The    Commissioner's    Report.      After  Mrs. 

Jane  S.  Howard,  surviving  daughter  of  H.  R.  School- 
craft. 
The  Mississippi  springs — The  Commissioner's  Report.     At 

the  geographical  center  of  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reser- 
voir. 
Mary  lake — Named  by  Peter   Turnbull.     After  Mrs.   Mary 

Turnbull. 
The  Twin  lakes^The  Commissioner's  Report.     Suggested 

by  the  appearance  of  united  waters. 
Danger  lake — Named  by  Peter  Turnbull,  from  infiltration 

and  percolation  of  waters  from  above,  flooding  the  ice 

surface  in  winter  at  its  south  shore. 
Ako  lake — Named  by  Hon.  I.  V.  D.  Heard.   After  Hennepin's 

Companion  Accault. 
Josephine  lake— J.  V.  Brower's  1888  Examination. 


1    Also  called  by  .lulius  Chambers  "Dully  Vardeii"  lake. 


THE    COMMISSIONER'S    DETAILED   SURVEY.  L'l^7 

Sibilant  lake— The   Commissioner's  Re])ort,      The    lakf    is 

the  form  of  the  letter  vS. 
Clarke    lake— Named  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Hill.     After  Hopewell 

Clarke. 
Little  Elk  lake — The  Commissioner's  Report. 
Hall    lake — The  Commissioner's  Report.      After  Edwin  S. 

Hall. 

I  The  Commissioner's  Report.     After  Des 
Groseilliers   lake,  ,  Groseillier   and   after   Pierre   E  df 

Radisson  lake,  Radisson.  discoverers  of  the  Upper 

Mississippi  river,— 1665. 

Floating  Moss  lake^The  Commissioner's  Report.  From 
its  floating  moss  bed  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

Whipple  lake— Named  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Oiltillan.  After 
Bishop  H.  B.  Whipple,  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of 
Minnesota. 

The  Tri])let  it^kes — The  Commissioner's  Report.  Three 
small  lakelets  clo.sely  identified  with  Morrison  and 
Whipple  lakes, 

Morrison  lake — The  Commissioners  Report.  After  Wil- 
liam Morrison. 

Morrison  hill — The  Commissioner's  Report.  After  William 
Morrison. 

Lake  Hernando  de  Soto^ — The  Commissioner's  Report.  In 
honor  of  the  discov^erer  of  the  Mississippi  river,  1541. 

Brower  island  2— Named  by  Capt.  R.  Blakely,  Mr.  Charles 
D.  Elfelt  and  Hon.  I.  V.  D.  Heard,  acting  as  a  com- 
mittee. 


1  The  easier  and  more  fluent  designation  is  "Soto,"  in  lieu  of  "De  Soto."  unless 
given  in  full.  "Hernando  de  .'ioto."  Anslicized.  the  name  is  "Hernand  of  the 
Grove,"  meaning  Hernand  of  tlie  tliicket  or  forest.  Tlie  forests  along  the  shores 
of  Hernando  de  Soto  lake,  soutli  and  west  of  IJrower  island,  and  on  the  island 
itself,  are  surpassingly  beautiful,  as  viewed  from  the  north  shore. 

2  This  committee,  appointed  by  the  Historical  society,  to  confer  with  the  com- 
missioner, as  to  geographical  names  at  the  lta«ca  Basin,  reported  tlie  several 
names  selected,  which  report  was  adopted  by  the  society.  In  this  report,  it  is 
stated  that  "the  committee,  of  their  own  motion,  recommend  tlial  the  island  in 
Hernando  de  Soto  lake  be  named  'Brower  island.'  after  ,r.  V.  Brower."' 


288  Till-;  Mississii'iM   i;i\"i;ic  and  its  soritcK. 

Lyendecker  lake*     Tht>    Coinmissiont'r's  K  'port.     After. Folin 

LyendeckiT. 
Mikenna  lako— Named  by  Mr.  A.  .1.  Hill. 
Alloa     lako  -The   Conimi.ssioners    li<'i)ort.       After    Lieut. 

James  Allen. 
The  Pickard  du   Gay  lakes — Named  by  Hon.  T.  ^^  T).  HiMird. 

After  one  of  Hennepin's  companions. 

I  So   called   by  common    acet^ptation.    ji> 
The  Itasca  Basin.  ;-         applied  to  the  territory  constitutinii 

)  the  utmost  limit  of  the  main  basin. 

Gaygwedo  say  creek — The  Commissioners  Report.     After 

Nicollet's  Ojibway  guide.      " Trying- to-walk." 
Andrus  creek— Ccmmissioner's  Report     After  the  treasun'r 

of  the  Minnesota  Game  and  Pish  Commission. 
Ocano    spring's — The    Commissioner's   Report.     The    head 

springs  of  Andrus    creek.       The   word  is    found    iu 

Schoolcraft's  Narrative. 
Spring  Ridge — The  Commissionei-'s  Report.  A  ridge  thrown 

up  by  water  pressure,  with  numerous  springs  at  the 

summit. 
Spring  Ridge  creek — The  Commissioner's  Report.     A  small 

creek  flowing  into  Nicollet's  Lower  lake  from  Spring 

Ridge. 
Cii  I  til  Ian  lake — The   Commissioner's  Report.     After  Rev.  J. 

A.  Giltillan,  who  celebrated  the  first  known  religious 

service  at  Itasca  in  1881,  from  ••  Then  had  thy  peace 

been  as  a  river." 
McKay    lake — The    Commissioner's     Report.     After    Rev. 

Stanley  A.  McKay,  who  celebrated  the  first  known 

baptismal  rites  in  the  waters  at  the  north  end  of  Itasca 

lake,  1891. 
Division  creek — The   Creek   coming    into    the    Mississippi. 

north  of  Itasca  lake,   from  the  heights,  which  divide 

the  waters  flowing  to  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Gulf  of 

Mexico. 
Frazier  lake — At  Frazier's  cabin.    The  waters  of  this  lake 

flow  to  The  Little  Mantrap  lake. 


MK'.   ALFKED  J.    IIILI.. 


riir.  (;oMMissn)NKK  s  itKrAii.Ki)  siuvky.  I'-'it 

NU'tuada    '.aicf     I'sM-nit'i'ly   a   iiortlici-ii    limil    of    I'lif    Littlo 

Mantrap  lak»'. 
Tluj    Hall   road — First  o(»('ih'(1   I'or  ih."  « iovt'i'iitin'Mt  siii'\<'.v. 

by  Pidwiu  S.  Hall.   K7k 
TIk' T  ii-iil)iill  road     (>[)tMi<'d  l)y  tholirst   resident.  \><^-. 
Tilt'  Jtascu  Slat*'  |»ark-  Naiii«'  established  l)y  law. 
Several  otlier  names  will  appeal'  upon  the  final  chai-t 

KKLATIOX  OF  ALFKKD  .1.  IIIIJ.  AND  <  »F 
JOHX  LVKNDKCKKli. 

Soon  aft<M'  Minne.sota  became  a  state  of  the  Fnion.  Mr. 
Alfred  J.  Hill  commenced  a  study  of  ^'•oo<,'ra[)hic  relations 
in  the  Northwest,  whicli  he  has  ccmtinued.  utiinterniptedly. 
until  his  information  has  reached  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth's  surface,  and  he  is.  and  should  be  accredited  as.  on(» 
of  the  best  ^'oo'^raphic  aiitliorities  resident  in  the  State  lie 
has  adopttnl  as  his  home.  At  the  time  of  the  discovei-ies  of 
Schoolci'aft  and  Nicollet  at  the  sou''ce  of  the  Mississippi 
were  (pi(?stioned.  Mr.  Hill  took  a  philosophic  and  unpreju- 
diced view  of  the  matter,  and  refusing  to  acce]it  a  chan.ire  of 
well  estal)lished  «i-eo<j:raphic  facts,  as  "iven  in  Is^;]!*;)!)  by  tiu^ 
explorers  named,  he  commenced  an  investi<,'ation  into  the 
details  concernin<r  discoveries  at  Itasca  lake,  and  the  results 
of  his  study  of  the  question  were  consolidated  and  i)ublished 
in  lH8i),  under  the  title  of  "Captain  Glazier's  Claim  to  the 
Discovery  of  the  Source  of  the  Mississi[)pi  River."  which  he 
illustrated  with  several  maps.  In  Mr.  Hill's  showin*ir  of 
facts,  he  presented  items  of  information,  consolidated  and 
condensed,  succinctly  stated,  showing'  the  published  carto- 
giaphical  authorities  relating  to  the  source  of  the  Missis 
sippi  to  the  date  of  his  study  of  the  question.  His  object  at 
-  19 


200  THK    MISSISSIIMM    IMVKK    AND    I'lS    S()IK<'K 

lln'  tiiiK!  s('«!ins  to  liiivc  Ix'fii  a  drsirc  to  slate  llic  (|iM'stion  of 
iliscovf'ry  <!xu<ttly  as  it  occurnHl,  and  in  (lf)iii<^  so.  liis  subjoci 
"U'as  <;oiisid<;ro(l  solely  upon  th<!  (iu«;stioii  of  •^'co'^'i'aphic  facts. 

This  a(;t,iori  (liscl<>so(l  tiie  true  li^hl  in  whicli  should  Ix- 
'.  iowod  discoveries  at,  tlu;  Itasca  liasin,  and  did  not  and 
could  not  do  oth<'rwise  than  connnand  icsfXict  and  (consider 
ation,  even  of  those  who  were  n(!ith(M-  studcuits  of  histoj-y. 
nor  \ersed  in  tlu;  rules  of  ^^•eoj^raphic  discovery,  sut!i(;iently 
to  enal>le  them  to  state;  a  ^eojrraphic  fact  with(»ut  pui-loin- 
in^  from  the  n;cords  of  predecessors. 

At  the  time  the  present  in(|uiry  was  wcdl  und(!r  way  and  a 
<l<;t<M'mination  was  arrivetl  at  to  exhaustiv(dy  consider  the 
(juestion  of  discoV(-'i"y.  Mr.  Hill  p<!rsonally  t(!nden(i  his 
services  Uj  the  Commissioner.  While  at  the  Insad waters,  an 
invitation  was  extende<l  to  him  to  visit  th(i  camp  of  tlie  Com- 
missioner at  Nicollet's  lakes,  with  a  view  of  securing  his  c((- 
operatif)n  and  assistanc(j  in  tlw!  tield.  hut  the  it)vitaiion  nevec 
rc'ached  him. 

A  scholar  of  Enj^lish  birth  and  a  student  of  tin;  lan^ua^es, 
his  otT»M'  t<j  assist  in  tin;  formulation  of  a  report  was  cheer- 
fully accei)t<;d,  and  on  th<i  1st  and  *.>th  of  November,  IHHli, 
communications  were  addressed  to  him  i)ropoundin^  ques- 
tions relatin«?  to  historical  facts  c(jnnect(id  with  the  early 
discoveries  of  th«!  river.  His  re.sciarch  into  the  S])anish  and 
French  occupancy  (jf  the  Mississippi  Uiver  basin  for  and  on 
bfihalf  of  the  Commissioner,  brouj^ht  to  li^ht  in  a  consoli- 
dated form,  tindin<^s  of  fact  from  the  lines  of  hist<n*ical  and 
cartof^raphicul  information,  so  accurate  and  valuable,  that 
they  iiave  been  incorporated  and  adopted  as  a  part  of  this 
report,  and  to  him  full  credit  is  due;  and  awarded  for  that 
portion  of  the  work  ])laced  in  his  hands. 


rni';  commissionku's  I)KTAiij:i)  sri{\i.;Y.  i".il 

Wh(!ij  i\u'  cDiiiiiiiLt*'!'  of  Ui<!  soc.icily  upiMiinlrd  lo  j)r(»|i<!rly 
(losij^natc  and  iiaiii*'  localitios  at  tin;  sfmrcc.  pi-occu^dod  lo 
IMM'I'onn  the  <liJty  imposed  by  its  ap{)oiiil  iin'nt.  Mr.  Hill's 
services  wen;  cullud  for,  and  in  s(!Vt'ral  instanc,«!s  iiis  icjcsas 
and  .suf^«^(!sti<)ns  w«H'(;  in)lini\y  inU^n^slin^' and  valuabh;,  but, 
\v<!r(!  ad(.r)i(Hl.  always  with  cccvlit,  that  a  just,  and  j^onnrous 
co-oporatio  I,  prompti^d  solely  by  a  love  of  fairrmss  and  foi- 
facts,  shall  not  r<Mnain  unrenuMnbered  by  those  who  may 
socure  pcotitablo  information  from  th<;  rcisults  <.f  ivjsoarches 
inad(!  without  tho  hope  or  (expectation  of  i-eward.  It  has  Ix^en 
statod  that  "ovory  man  is  a  valuaVjh;  m<Mnber  of  socit'ty  wlio, 
by  his  obs<.'rvations,  r(\s(!ar(;h(!S  and  (!xporien(;es,  procures 
kn(jwled;^e  foi- men"  an  apt  illustj'ation  which  tindsawell 
dosorvod  application  in  a  consideration  of  Mr.  IlilTs  work.' 

From  the  vory  commcncemijnt  of  «^o\erninent  survceys  in 
^linn<!Sota,  up  to  th<;  present  tim<\  he  has  drawn  corr<*<;t 
and  comi)lete  f^«!omctrical  abstracts  for  his  pcu'sonai  use  and 
study,  and  his  dead  reckoning,  for  the  latitude'  and  lon<^itude 
of  Schoolcraft  island.  corre(tt(ed  apparent  errors  in  the  ob- 
servations taken  from  time  to  time  in  that  distant  interior. 
no  two  of  which  are  found  to  a^n^e. 


t  Till-  fiillnwiii;;  MH'riiitraiKliMii  iridii'silcs  I  In-  sltuM-rll  y  of  |Hii|ii»f  «  ll  li  »  lilrli  his 
labors  wcif  iici'ijriiplisluMl: 

"Mr  Itri^wcr  rci|iirstc(l  rue  Id  ••r)U"'<'l  t,<)j;<!lJicr  In  ;i  lurmolr,  fur  llic  iisi;  of  liis 
rcpiirl  (III  till!  Siiurc<!  (,t  llir  Mississippi,  t.titt  iiiosl  siKiiltiiMtit  ritcts  Id  lif  fotiiiil  In 
iicc-fsslhli'  Spunlsh  iitul  [''ri'iirli  vvrllln;.'s,  (■uiicri'iiInK  tln^  discovery  of  llils  river. 
Tliert!  Hi!eiiic(i  to  l)e  no  treat  is(!  or  arllele  on  tin;  sulijm't  as  ii  whole,  wrlllt^n  fiimi.*,, 
exeluslvely  ^uo^raphii-ul  point  of  view.  Tliu  task  of  ■■ollatloii  iiiid  seliictlon  has 
proved  to  1x1  a  ^realei  one  than  was  anticipated,  and  altliou);li  all  maps  and  hooks 
procnrahle  at  St  .  I'aul  and  hearln;;  on  t  he  MUhjecl  iia  ve  heen  consnlled.  1  he  piipir. 
Ion;:  as  It  is.  is  hy  no  Inc-.ins  exiiauslixu.  I'ossihlv  ll  cont  ains  errors  of  varions 
Mnds,  hut  they  can  scarcely  he  avoidcil  when  the  work  of  ;i  ye.-ir  has  to  he  crowded 
into  tl\  e  nioni  lis." 

Over  two  years  have  elapsed  since  Mr  lllll  wrote  thcso  Units,  durinjr  whicii  <lnni 
lie  has  made  further  lilstorlcal  researi-hi-s,  <;iiuhllnK  liim  to  t  lioiou'.{hly  revise  Ids 
woik.  materially  .'iddin'.'  to  the  value  of  this  work,  more  espeidally  on  the  Spanisli 
discoveries 


ono 


92  THK    MISSISSIIM'I    KIVKIi    AXI)    ITS    SOURCE. 

The  writer  ol'  lliis  i-cport  is  gratified  to  know  that  his  sur- 
voy  of.  and  tindings  conc('rnin«jf  tho  source  of  th<>  Missis- 
sippi, meet  tho  approbation  of  Alfred  J.  Hill. 

It  is  intended  to  malcc  suitable  acknowled<jrements  for 
assistance  extend(>d  in  the  prc^sent  examination  and  with 
that  end  in  view  it  is  thought  not  out  of  place  to  award  *o 
another,  than  Mr.  Hill,  the  consideration  due  painstaking 
aid,  before  the  close  of  this  report. 

Mr.  John  Lyendecker,  whose  energetic  taste  for  inacces- 
sible regions,  made  it  convenient  for  him  to  penetrate  to  the 
inner  wilds  of  the  Adirondacks,  followed  a  natural  inclina- 
tion by  becoming  a  visitor  at  the  source  of  the  Mis;sissii)pi. 
bj'"  protracted  sojourns  at  Itasca  and  the  morainit*  belt  south 
and  east  of  it.  Ho  rendered  unselfish  and  valuable  assist- 
ance in  1888.  in  a  casual  examination  of  the  whole  Basin.  In 
1889,  Mr.  Lyendecker  entered  upon  another  prolonged  visit 
at  Itasca,  with  his  camp  on  the  north  arm.  remaining  from 
the  month  of  October  until  about  the  first  of  January.  1890. 
He  was  requested  to  note  jjarticularly  the  appearance  of  the 
waters  at  the  source  as  compared  with  the  examination  in 
1888  and  to  leport  for  this  examination  :my  and  all  changes 
or  other  items  of  interest  at  his  eonvenienci^.  His  well 
known  reliability  and  candor  make  the  receipt  of  his  report 
of  special  interest,  confirmatory  of  the  condition  of  the 
waters  at  Itasca  as  comi)ared  with  the  four  seasons  imme- 
diately preceding  the  month  of  December   1889. 

In  Mr.  Lyendecker's  report,  dated  December  15th,  1889, 
at  Itasca  lake,  it  is  stated  that  the  creek  recently  designated 
as  Chambers  creek,  by  the  Historical  society,  "is  very  low, 
about  one  inch  deep  and  narrow,  half  way  between  the  two 
lakes.     1  easily  .  tepped  across  it.     In  the  largest  stream  en- 


X 


^ 

X 


0 

X 


/.  ■- 


—   X 


< 


THE   LOMMISSlUNKli'S    DETAILED    .'•:UUVEV.  1'93 

teriiig  Itasca  lake  a  half  a  mile  to  the  westward,  the  water 
is  fully  as  abundant  as  at  the  date  of  our  visit  there  in  Octo- 
ber, 1888.  There  is  no  change,  except  the  waters  of  Itasca 
lake  are  a  little  hi;u:her.  and  in  Morrison  lake,  six  feet  below 
hi^h  water  marks  on  the  shores."  *  *  * 

Perhaps  to  another.  Mr.  E.  Hayes,  .should  be  awarded 
credit  for  topo«jfraphical  laboi'.  in  October  and  November. 
1891. 

In  his  report  the  topography  at  and  about  Hernando  do 
Soto  and  Morri.son  lakes,  ai)pears.  which  places  them  in 
their  correct  position  on  the  final  chart.  Mr.  Hayes  says: 
••I  have  visited  this  region  on  two  dift'erent  occasions  and 
have  examined  the  water  systems.  At  the  most  southerly 
point  of  the  west  arm  of  Itasca  lake,  is  Nicollet's  infant 
river,  the  most  important  stream,  both  in  volume  of  water 
and  in  length."         *         *         * 

Mr.  A.  T.  Warner  and  companions,^  also  visitors  at  Nicol- 
let's discoveries,  in  May.  1891,  united  in  an  interesting  re- 
port, in  which  they  say:  ••*  *  *  One  of  (jur  party  went 
up  the  Nicollet  outlet,  some  three  hundred  yards  in  a  canoe, 
and  found  it  the  larger,  and  as  it  proceeds  from  a  point 
south  of  Elk  lake,  and  as  we  believe  Elk  lake  was  once  a 
part  of  Lake  Itasca,  it  is  our  opinion,  that  the  Nicollet  lakes 
are  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi." 

THE  CONCLUSIONS  OP  THE  COMMISSIONER. 

As  the  results  of  an  investigation  and  examination,  cover- 
ing the  period  from  October,  1888,  to  October  189:2,  a  por- 
tion of  which  has  been  availed  of  for  the  })urpose  of  an 
incidental  research  into  the  question  relating  to  the  original 

1    Messrs.  U.  I'.  Wariu'r.  1).  J.  Soliollor  and  \V.  H.  l'l:iii<li"iu. 


294  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

discovery  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  its  source,  deemed 
necessary  in  order  to  trace  the  lines  of  discovery,  from  date 
to  date,  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  its  utmost  origin, 
preparatory  to  an  intelligent  consideration  of  the  question 
of  the  ultimate  source,  there  are  ample  reasons,  as  pre- 
sented herein,  which  warrant  the  following  conclusions, 
founded  upon  the  facts  as  stated: 

FiKST:  The  Espiritu  Sancto,  as  originally  laid  down  ujjon 
the  earliest  Spanish  maps,  was  not  the  Mississippi  river. 

Second:  The  Lower  Mississippi  river  was  undoubtedly 
discovered  by  Hernando  de  Soto  in  June,  A.  D.,  ir)41. 

Third:  Groseilliers  and  Radisson  in  A.  D.,  160.'),  discov- 
ered the  Upper  Mississippi  river. 

Fourth:  Wm.  Morrison,  in  1804,  H.  K.  Schoolcraft,  in 
1832,  and  Jean  N.  Nicollet,  in  18-56,  were  the  first  of  white 
men  to  discover  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the  order 
in  which  they  are  named;  Mr.  Morrison  being  the  first  to 
reach  the  Basin;  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  the  first  to  explore  Itasca 
lake,  and  to  publish  the  results  of  his  exploration  with  a 
chart;  and  Mr.  Nicollet,  the  first  to  discover  the  principal 
affluent,  although  he  did  not  know  of  the  existence  of  the 
Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir,  of  which  his  middle  lake  con 
stitutes  a  northern  limit. 

Fifth:  The  Itasca  Basin  is  the  most  remote  water-shed 
upon  the  main  river,  from  its  mouth  at  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

This  Basin  is  compact,  limited  and  permanent,  within 
which  Itasca  lake  forms  the  central  reservoir  at  the  lowest 
depression;  Morrison,  Hernando  de  Soto,  The  Triplets. 
Whipple,  Floating  Moss,  the  Nicollet  and  other  neighboring 
lakes,  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir;  Josephine,  Ako. 
Danger,  The  Twin  and  Mary   lakes,  the  Lesser  Ultimate 


THE   COMMISSIONEh'S    DETAILED   SURVEY.  -^Xf 

Reservoir,  and  Clarke  lake  and  the  lakes  surrounding^  it.  the 
Midway  Reservoir;  with  smaller  intermediate  contributory 
reservoirs  intervening  and  gathered  at  the  sides;  the  whole 
being  formed  by  twenty  principal  lakes  of  different  areas, 
and  about  fifty  lakes  and  pools  of  water  of  lesser  import- 
ance, with  one  principr.l,  three  intermediate  and  thirty-five 
minor  streams  of  running  water,  and  several  large  and  im- 
portant springs. 

Sixth:  The  principal,  longest  and  largest  stretyn  within 
the  basin,  is  that  particular  stream  discovered  by  Jean  N. 
Nicollet,  August  29th,  1836.  heretofore  known  as  ••Nicollet's 
Infant  Mississippi  River."  It  draws  its  supply  of  water 
from  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir.  This  supply  is  the 
immediate  result  of  secular  aerial  precipitation,  gathered 
into  the  lakes  of  the  locality,  forming  the  Greater  Ultimate 
Reservoir,  which  extends  from  Hernando  de  Soto.  Morrison. 
The  Triplets.  Whipple  and  Floating  Moss  lakes,  the  Missis- 
sippi, Nicollet  and  other  flowing  springs,  to  Nicollet's  mid- 
dle lake  from  which  the  main  river  proceeds  thence  to  the 
Gulf  in  an  unbroken  channel. 

This  stream  is  therefore  found  to  be  the  Mississippi  river. 

Seventh:  Elk  lake  is  not  the  source  of  the  Mississippi 
river. 

Eighth:  Since  minute  deductions  are  propounded,  the 
distances  being  short  and  the  waters  limited,  it  was  thought 
jDroper  to  go  beyond  Itasca  lake  and  learn  of  the  actual 
source  whence  these  historic  waters  originate;  the  result 
being  an  interesting  discovery  of  remote  reservoirs,  here- 
tofore unknown  to  exist,  as  such;  from  which  a  constant  and 
never  ending  supply  reaches  Itasca  lake,  sustaining  it  in  a 
perennial  out -flow. 


'29C^  THF.    MTSSISSIPIM    IJIVK.Ii    AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

Ninth:  (ioin^'-  beyond  tlie  oxi)l<)rations  of  Nicollet,  des- 
cribed in  his  report,  intended  to  illustrate  a  map  of  the 
hydrof^raphieal  basin  of  t  le  Upi)er  Mississippi  river,  ordered 
printed  by  the  se])arate  Houses  of  the  Con;Lrress  of  Ihv 
United  States,  the  tru  j  and  actual  source  of  the  Mississippi 
river  is  The  GiiEATEii  Ultimate  llESEiiVOiii.  from  which 
the  principal  portion  of  the  waters  of  Itasca  lake  are  drawn, 
through  the  channels  particularly  described,  and  which 
waters  ive  thence  discharged  into  the  river  below. 

In  the  hope  that  the  result  of  consciencious  research,  per- 
formed with  unremitting  labor  and  care,  may  prove  instruc- 
tive and  beneficial,  this  report  and  the  conclusions  thereon, 
based  upon  the  facts  as  they  liave  been  found  to  exist,  and 
as  the  most  complete  hydrographic  and  topographic  survey 
of  the  source,  is  respectfully  submitted,  duly  acknowledging 
that  these  explorations  come  after  the  labors  of  the  distin- 
guished gentlemen,  who  preceded  me  in  1808.  18I5L',  183(5  and 
1886  at  the  Itasca  Basin,  claiming  only  such  measure  of 
credit  as  a  more  extended  survey  and  discovery  may  entitle 
me  to  r  >iceive.  Respectfully-  submitted. 


THE   COMMISSIONERS    DETAILED   SURVEY.  2i)'t 


Mkmokaxki'M:  Tln!  tnii'  Mini  ;iclii;il  soiirri'  of  the  Mls«.i»i|ii)i.  rnniirtMl  to  In' 
fniliid,  us  ;i  loull  iif  tlif  i'\;iiiilliiilliiil  fur  tliiil  piiipo-f,  lis  pill  I  iculii  ily  ilescrihcil 
ami  si't  for  111  in  llir  pn'iT<liii_'  .-ub-ilh  Niun-  li;is  Ih-imi  (Ic^iLTiiiitt'd  us  ji  (li-.t  i-ict,  pre- 
ferable to  a  >i«'i-i)le.  (leleriiiiiial)le  and  paitleiilar  I'lraliori  iipnii  thf  earth's 
-iirface  ill  a  naturally  permanent  lacustral  I'orinal  ion.  lieeaiisea  watt'r-.slie<l.  with 
well  detiufd  inner  llanlcs.  eoiitiiinin^' a  perniuiient  rt'scrvoir  of  water  euiisint;  the 
existeni'C  and  perpetual  eontiniiaiife  of  tlie  source  of  a  river.  Is  in  fact,  the  iiio-t 
remote  source,  not  w  illistandin;,'  llie  ijossiliility  of  artesian  piessure.  wliicli  lioex  iml 
exist  at  Here /lido  de  Soto  and  Morrison  lakes,  as  a  siipjdy  to  tlio>e  la  lies. 

To  proceed  iip4in  the  basis  that  liie  source  of  a  river  Is  at  tlie  i)ait;cular  spot 
most  remote  from  Ms  mouth,  where  tiie  water  first  coiJimeiices  its  lloway:e  upon 
the  surface,  in  an  unliroUeii  channel  to  the  sea,  would  'orce  upon  the  student  of 
neosriaphical  expluralion-.  a  narrow  and  limiled  rule,  icsultinjr  in  the  discovery  of 
ati  inferior  point,  dependent  entirely  upon  subsidiary  diannels,  yel  ignorin>f  tlie 
existence  of  the  real  source  from  which  t  he  water  may  be  or  is  drawn. 

If  to  follow  the  cliannel  of  tht^  Mississipjji  from  the  (iulf  of  Mexh'o  to  the  most 
remote  point  of  surface  llowa^re  In  any  way  connected  tlierewith,  in  iievrsisnry,  n 
Older  to  (li>cover  the  source,  we  must  turn  aside  from  the  ^rand  anil  extensive 
valley  of  1  lie  Mississipiji,  reacliiu;;  from  the  imrl  hern  limit  of  t  he  I'niled  Slates  to 
the  liiilf,  with  all  lis  topo;;raphic  features  and  well  defined  peculiarities,  and  pass 
up  the  channel  of  the  Missouri  river  to  some  jxiiiit  in  the  liocky  Mountains,  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  Itasea  Basin,  for  the  reason  that  the  source  of  the  Mls.sourl— 
water  eomlnf;  In  at  one  side— is  more  remote  from  tlie  mouth  of  the  Missi.s.sippi 
tliau  is  the  Greater  Ultimate  Reservoir,  at  the  utmost  northern  limit  of  tlie  .Mis- 
sissippi Kivcr  basin. 

However  desirable  it  iiii;fht  be  to  reverse  llie  order  of  llie  well  establlslied  geo- 
L'raphy  eoni-ernin;;  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers,  in  order  tliat  the  longest 
■  •liannel  may  be  desiglated  as  the  one  principal  si  ream  — a  necessity,  if  Ibis  limited 
lule  must  be  followe<l  it  should  lie  rememliered  and  properly  considered  that, 
from  the  earliest  times  coming  within  iaiman  knowledge,  pre-historic.  aboriginal. 
Spanish,  French,  English  and  American,  every  rei-ognition  has  ])ointnd  to  the 
great  valley  and  its  river  as  the  main  water—lied,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  Missouri, 
and  upon  tliis  rule  of  action.  trit)al  i)ossessions,  international  boundary  liiu's, 
enactments  by  Congress,  Articles  of  War  and  Tre.ities  of  Peace  in  Europe  and 
America,  reciprocal  concessions,  government  api)n>priai  ions  and  improvements. 
L'onimercial  tratlic.  state  boundaries,  educational  li'acliiiigs  and  the  nomenclature 
of  portions  of  the  I'edeial  I'nioii.  have  adhered — all  this  and  more  in  consonance 
with  tlie  great  topogr.-iphic  features  of  nat  •■  as  tliey  exist  (he  wliele  length  and 
breadth  of  the  Mississippi  Ri\er  basin,  wii  ii  the  Missouri  as  as  a  continent  river 
coming  in  at  one  side.  It  would  appear  that  this  rule,  "tliat  the  ^otiyof  surface 
channel  must  be  followad  in  order  to  find  the  utmost  Source"  of  tlie  .Mississippi,  is 
in  direct  eonllict  with  every  natural  cause  that  has  l)rought  into  existence  the 
history  of  tiie  discovi'ry.  1  he  occupancy,  and  the  liydrogr:i|)liic  and  topographic 
I'hai'ts  of  the  ba-.in  of  the  Mississippi  as  it  di\  ide^  from  north  to  south,  tlie  eastern 
and  western  limits  of  the  Iniied  Stales,  wiili  its  subdivisions,  as  divided  by  tlie 
Alleghany  and  other  ranges,  and  tlie  Ivoeky  Mountains,  bordeii-ing  respectively 
upon  the  east  and  west,  the  basin  of  tlie  river.  If,  for  these  and  other  reasons, 
sudi  a  rule  is  too  iianow  and  limited  to  lie  ell'ec-tive  tind  consistent,  w  hy  follow  it, 
when  to  do  so  would  unsettle  and  bring  into  eonllict  the  very  foundations  of  ter- 
torial  organizations,  comnierci.-vl  and  other  numerous  municiiial  relations,  hereto- 
fore deemed  and  believed  to  correspond  with  natuic's  topographic  facts  and 
conditions?  Tlien  again,  follow  the  same  rule,  leaving  the  .Missouri  liver  out  from 
any  consideration  tiiereuiider,  and  in  passing  up  the  trough  of  the  Itasca  Basin  by 


i'OH  THE    MISSFSSII'IM    lilVKK    AN'I)    ITS    SOritCE. 

•  he.  lonKBHt  siirfiiiic  i'li;iiint'l  of  niiiniiiL'  \v:ili'i',  llicii'  mii  .|  ht-  selectod  from  the 
iii(<"«slliin  si  n'ii  IMS  full  11(1  then',  till  <iiii'  wlii.so  lifsui  Is  iiii>-,|  ii'inotc  frmn  the  norlli 
fiiil  and  outlt't  iif  I(!i-<'ii  liiki',  and  I  liii<  uw.  wIuMIht  it  In-  sulisldliiry  or  priiicipiil, 
cniitliicnt  (ir  iittliiciit.  nnist  lif.  ;ii'riil  ruilly.  poiiilol  out  and  dfsi;;iiat('d  us  tlii' 
Mississippi  rlviT.  Ill  conllliM  witli  tli«>  cxlsilnir  to|)o;;iiii)lik'  fi-aliirt's  as  tli«>y  urt' 
found  tlicrc. 

St'lcctln;;  from  tli<>  list  tin-  piiiicipal  -ticaiiis  at  Itiis<>ii.  ilii'lr  ri'spcci  i\'t>  l<Mii;tlis 
art!  as  follows.  Iiy  tlu'  mii  fare  {■hninifl  from  tin-  north  onil  of  Itas<'a  lakr: 

To  the  hoad  of  Howard  cri-ek :,'!*,!»rc'  feel . 

To  llu'  lu-ad  of  Dt'iiiarav  creok •.T.OoJ     " 

To  t ho  lu-ad  of  The  I'rl nrlpal  8tr«>ani  > 27.ia)       ' 

To  the  head  of  Mary  crcfk  -i 26,297     •' 

Tothehoadof  Houtwoll  creek 22.327     •■ 

To  Elk  lake-t 17.827     " 

Thus,  follfiwiiiR  literally  and  strictly,  ilils  arlillrary  rule,  the  head  of  Howard 
ereek  '.  would  be  discovered  as  the  xiurceof  the  Mississippi,  to  the  e\el  us  Ion  of  the 
larger  and  more  important  jirlneipal  sireanis  tiowlni;  out  of  the  north  end  of 
Whipple  lake,  re-apiiearln^  at  'lie  Mis-»l-»slppl  Sprlniis  and  flowlufr  in  a  detached 
upper  channel,  under  a  cru->i  m  ■arth,  wlilcli  forms  a  very  narrow,  natural  hrldse. 
betwet'ii  Nli'ol let's  Upper  aii<l  Middle  lakes,  and.  with  Howard  and  Demaray  creeks 
coniluK  111  atone  side  as  branches,  thence  to  Itasca  lake  and  the  sea. 

Howard  creek  Is  a  picturesque  little  stream,  with  swift  ami  perniaiient  llowaKc, 
the  luliilniuni  of  which  fills  Its  bed  constantly,  and  Its  head,  surrounded  by  pre- 
cipitous hills,  is  a  sprlnj»  or  pool,  tlu;  waters  of  which  flow  directly  out  of  the  earth. 
i|iiito  sitnilar  to  tlie  Mississippi  .><prln'_'s.  Hut  this  creek  is  linilted  In  sl/e,  com- 
parted with  the  nialii  stream  of  whice  It  is  a  branch,  the  same  as  Demaray  creek 
and  Spriiij?  Hidj;e  creek,  ("ominoii  sensi>  prescribes  a  r(>asoiial)le  lilierality  In  tin- 
inspection  and  exariiiuat  ion  of  nat  ure's  process,  and  to  force  its  cause  would  be  a 
futile  endeavor  to  dictate  in  luatters  over  which  we  have  no  control,  unless  by 
artificial  interferences  and  appliances.  There  is  no  reason  why  we  should  distort 
the  facts  of  nature,  in  order  to  follow  a  limited  and  Impracticable  rule.  In  case  it 
leads  In  an  opposite  direction  from  existing  facts.  The  head  of  Howard  i-reek  Is 
not  the  soui'ce  of  the  Mississippi.  becaus(>  the  channel  of  the  muin  stream  Is  broken 
by  the  i)eculiar  natural  formation  at  Nicollet's  I'pper  lake,  where  the  stream 
Hows  Into  the  liowels  of  the  earth  and  out  l<>  the  surface  aaaiii  a  few' feet  over  the 
brow  of  tlie  natural  bridse  there  located 

Reference  is  made  to  the  i(uest  ion  of  wiiicli  point  is  t  lie  source  of  a  river  when  a 
welldetlned  permanent  lake  is  t he  orijtiiial  w.-iler,  Thereshould  be  no  (|uestion 
that  the  part  of  the  lake  where  the  first  flow  of  water  commences  tlierefroni.  Is. 
minutely,  the  source,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  body  of  the  lake  Itself,  though  for 
popular  comparison  tlie  lake,  as  a  lake,  is  usually  designated  as  the  sourc«!  of  the 
river.  Tf  the  lake  he  one  hundred  miles  lon>;,  and  the  river,  bavins  Its  source 
therein,  one  hundred  miles  Ions,  it  would  force  the  construction  of  nature's  Invin- 
cible ruletosay  tiiat  the  river  w.is  two  hiDtdred  imleji  in  length.  Thesiissestlon  that 
the  size  of  a  lake  jrlv  ins  source  to  a  river,  ismaterial.  is  an  absurdity .  A  lake. 
howev«'r  sin.iU  and  obscure,  ffom  wbicli  a  river  takes  Its  rise  can  well  iie  popiihirly 
desisnated  as  tlie  source. 

1.  At  the  base  of  the  hills,  above  Nicollet's  Middle  lake. 

2.  The  leiisth  of  Mary  lake  not  Included,  because  the  ereek  llowlns  into  It,  above 
the  lake,  is  not  pt>reiinial. 

:i.  Leiisth  of  Elk  lake  not  Included,  hecau.se  the  several  cre»'ks  entering  It  bave 
been  found,  on  one  or  more  dates,  to  be  entirely  dry,  ami  In  winter  closed  by 
frcezlns  and  ice. 

4.  See  chart  showins  location  of  Howard  creek,  draining  a  limited  ravine  which 
forms  a  part  of  Nicollet  Valley.  This  ravine  is  a  part  and  portion  of  the  Greater 
Ultimate  Reservoir  Rowl. 


THE   CUMMISSIDNKU'S    DETAII.Kl)   SLUVEV.  L'9lt 

Tlic  (liiiiiict  rii°;i|  (irili't'of  the  llnwuf  ;i  rlvcf  Is  uttvi'i'tid  Ici.  It  i-  iiol  iifrfssary 
tliut  ii  river  slimild  How  rniin  one  point  of  tlif  foiiipii-.-.  to  Unit  illrfi'lly  itppoMltc. 
Such  a  I'oiicliisloii.  Ion;;  sliii'c  -in^r^jt'stiMl,  Is  erroiicoii-.  and,  if  :i(lo))l('il,  would,  of 
iifi'i'ssity.  Ignore  the  topo^raphlr  fi-iiliiiTs  wliirli  snrroiind  aiid  oon-<t It utt-  the 
^'iitt-r-slied  and  valk>>s  from  ulil<-li  and  t>iroii;;li  which,  the  principal  rivers  of  the 
World  take  their  course.  It  inattersnot  If  the  valley  or  liasin  he  circiiiloiis,  i)ro- 
vldedthe  ilellticd  condit  Ions  of  tliat  |)art  of  the  siirface  of  tlie  earth,  foriniti;;  the 
Valley  o  hasln,  conllrnisthe  »tatenicnt  thai  It  Is  the  main  water-slied.  lhrou«'i 
wliich  the  chief  river  talies  lis  How.  to  the  e.\clii8ii)n  of  ■.iih-.idiary  -.tT'eam-^.  cotn- 
iii);  ill  ut  t  lie  >  Id  e  from  less  extensive  \  alleys  or  liasins. 

The  Mississippi  river  from  tlie  Itasca  hasiii.  to  t  he  inoiith  of  the  Crow  Win;;,  the 
St.  Louis  river,  from  its  source  to  Lake  Sup«'rior,  and  the  Hed  liiver  of  the  North, 
from  Itssourroto  ttic  forty-seviMit  h  (le;;ret'  of  North  latitude,  each  constitute  ii 
half  circle  In  tlie  condition  of  th«>lr  respective  courses,  us  controlled  liy  the  topo- 
Kraphy  of  tlie  wiitei-slieds  wliicli  lliey  drain,  and  each  ri\er  mentioned.  In  it- 
course,  flows  to  every  point  of  the  compass  in  one  or  more  portions  of  its  surface 
flowaK"'-  The  rivers  mentioned.  How  to  the  (iiilf  of  Mexico.  I  lie  Atlantic,  and  to 
Hudson's  Hay.  respectively,  draining:  tliree  of  tiie  principal  water->lieds  of  North 
Aiiierlcu.  all  taking'  their  rise  in  the  northern  port  ion  of  Minnesota  near  to  each 
other.  Till'  St.  Li.uis  river.  In  tliis  reference,  is  deemed  to  he  the  head  waters  of 
the  St.  Lawrence. 

It  Is  not  deemed  necessary  to  take  up  a  coiisiderat  ion  of  the  entire  list  of  tlie 
princi]>al  rivers  of  tlie  world,  whether  in  nunintai  nous  districts,  (les<'rts  or  prodiici- 
ive  re^jions,  in  fri;!i(l,  temperate  or  t  i'o|)ical  climates,  to  liidlcat«>  the  neceseity  of 
adopting;  tlie  common  law  of  iial  ure.  whicli  has  formed  the  source,  the  wal  -shed, 
the  course,  fl()wa;:e.  continuance  and  ending  of  every  river  of  purmaneni  cxisl- 
ence,  and  It  will  surely  prove  futile  to  undertake  the  ta-k  of  iipplyiii^  tictitioiis 
and  iintenalile  opinions,  contrary  to  the  natural  cond it  ions  ever  present  upon  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  as  the  waters  are  taken  fi-om  the  hosom  of  the  oceans  and 
precli)itate(l.  by  meteorological  and  climatic  action,  when  the  .source,  the  course 
aiidlhe  endintr  of  rivers.  Is  determined,  iheoretii'ally  or  hy  actual  surveys  in  the 
field  of  operation  or  ohservance.  Where  is  the  waler  precipitated  at  the  source  of 
a  river,  and  how  is  it  ;f  at  he  red  into  the  clianiiel  of  the  stream,  are  propositions 
which  were  ever  present  in  ihe  ex.'iniinat ion  at  tin'  source  of  tlie  Mississippi,  for  no 
other  procedure  would  so  well  apply,  in  hrinu'in;;  to  lijflittlic  facts  as  nut  ure  has 
presented  them  there,  and  a  distortion  of  those  facts,  would  iie  but  an  erroneous 
theory.  This  applies,  of  course,  to  a  lai'iistrlne  region,  similar  to  the  head  wati'r 
basin  of  the  Mi.ssissippi. 

The  fact  that  thert;  exist  rivers  in  mountainous  districts,  which  depend  upon 
meltlnfi  snows  and  lee,  for  a  supply  of  water,  rivers  in  arid  re^rions,  which  are 
often  entirely  dry ;  rivers  in  rocky  a n<l  limestone  districts,  dependins  upon  arte- 
sian pressure  for  a  supply,  and  various  and  widely  ditTereiit  conditions  extant  at 
the.source  of  all  the  livers  of  the  world,  as  compared  with  each  other,  the  undis- 
puted and  indisputalile  proposlt  ion.  that  every  river  of  the  world,  owes  Its  exist- 
ence to  a  natural  cause  and  effect,  as  demonstrated  by  the  process  of  i)ri'clpitati<)ii, 
must  be.  of  necessity,  ever  present  in  determiiiiiij.'  the  true  source  of  each,  and  if 
this  be  admitted,  we  must  turn  to  the  water-sheds  at  the  utmost  limit  from  the 
mouth  of  all  our  rivers  to  find  the  source.  True,  there  may  be  Isolated  Instances 
where  the  application  of  sudi  a  rule  would  seem  to  be  fallacious,  but  can  there  not 
be  remote  exceptions  to  any  know  n  rule'i'  An  important  instance  is  noted  to  show 
the  effect  of  a  water-shed.  Situated  in  the  very  center  of  the  northern  half  of  the 
State  of  Mlnnest)ta  is  a  well  defined  basin,  oblong:  in  its  forination.  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  lonjr  and  fifty  in  widtlit .     Within  this  basin  there  are  nearly  one  thous- 

1  See  Chart. 


.'{00  TIIK     MISSI-RIIMM    UIVKR     AND    ITS     SOCRCK. 

tind  liiki>-<.  lar^i' uikI  Niimll.  uihI  ihiiik'Ioii- ^iichihs.  'I'IiI- liiislii  !•<  iilniust  cntlri'ly 
■.ilffoilliili'tl  tiy  lii'l;ililH  of  liitlil  :iii(llln'  .M  is-i-^lppl  <l)>Mi-i'ri(ls  mil  friiiii  It  ovrr  I  lie 
rnUi'_'jini:i  FiilN.  I'lnni  tin-  litrifl'  llaiiUs  nf  llii'-i'  lifl'.'lilM  of  luml.  the  stniilliT 
-1  Irani-.  How  (luwii  to  t  lir  i-i'iitiT  of  t  he  l)M-iil  ill  ill  fnliii  I  lie  M  l->i»||)|il,  t  lir  pi  Irn'l- 
pal  .Hliviim  of  t  lit' wiilff->liiil.  Till-  iiiilliiMi«iiif  yolloii-.  of  water  ^lliiali'd  within 
t  Ills  lliiiitfil  lit'ail-wati'r  liasin  litis  lii-cii  ilrawii  f  loni  I  lie  orniiis  liy  mil  iiral  i-:iii'^i'->. 
It  is  hiti-n-st  In;;  to  iiotr  tlmt  wliilc  tin-  waters  of  tlio  liiiii'r  Hanks  of  t  his  hasln,  llow 
to  the  .MIsHissippi,  til*'  outer  tianks  supply  watrrs  wlili-h  form  strt-uins  to  the  utist- 
warfl,  tlowin;;  to  Ltikj- Superior;  to  the  iiorthwiird,  llowiiivr  to  lhi>  I-iiko  of  the 
Woods;  to  till!  West  ward.  How  lim  to  the  lied  Ki  ver  of  1  lie  N  iirt  h,  liml  to  t  li«^  soiit  h- 
ward,  llowiiii.'  to  the  t'row  Wiriu'  river.  Tliii-lii  this  \  cry  1  iiiiiled  t  erritory,  eoiii- 
paratively  ■•peakin;;,  t  he  siininiil  of  theao  helLrhts  of  land  diNchar;;e  precipitated 
waters  in  all  opposite  diiei't  Ions.  Within  this  ba-'in  at  tli<'  lii'ad  water  system  of 
t  he  Mississippi,  in  following;  the  eliannel  of  tho  main  st  leatn  up  throu^'h  the  t  rou'-'h 
of  tho  l)asln.  tin;  Leeeh  lak<'.  Turtle  and  ^■elillw  Mead  rivers,  come  in  as  principal 
1 1  ihutarics.  dr:iiniiiv'  sped  fie  portions  of  t  he  I  low  I,  ii.s  like  wise  do  other  and  less  im- 
port unt  streams,  until  the  Itasea  portion  of  the  u|>per  wuter-shed  is  i-eaehed,  where 
a  distlnet  and  limited  Uasiri  exists,  nearly  surrounded  by  thu  Kmitiiirs  drs  Tenrx  of 
the  locality,  and  passiny;  up  t his  liaslei  tlie  extreme  limitof  the  rpi)er  Mississippi 
water-shed  is  found  at  tlie  (irealer  ritimatu  Iteservoir,  with  the  principal  stream 
of  tin' locality  flowinir  out  of  it.  The  mere  rivalry  of  orii-'inal  disi'oveiy  of  some 
one  part  icular  lake  of  tlie  locality,  .'is  com  p. i  red  with  some  other  i;iUe  t  here,  is  not 
a  correct  liiisis  upon  whii'h  to  delermitie  tli(>  source.  For  popular  comparison, 
Itascii  lake  has  beenknown  for  over  half  a  i-ent  ury,  us  the  source  of  tlieMtssisi- 
sippi,  but  that  do«-s  not  and  catinot  make  it  the  ultimate  source  in  reality,  when  to 
remove  the  reservoirs  above  smd  beyond  it,  Itasca  Itself,  as  ii  lake,  would  cease  to 
supply  the  river  runnin;;  from  it.  and  the  lake  would  recede  to  narrowiu' limits 
within  its  own  shores,  for  want  of  I  Ik;  Water  siipi)ly  now  constantly  cominir  from 
above  It.  tin;  iiillow  rejiuLitin^;  and  cont  roilm;  thi'outliow.  However  dcsiial)le  it 
mi^lit  be  to  continue  this  pieference  for  1 1  asea  lake,  it  cjiii  be  but  a  (luestioii  of 
sentiment,  for  cjitainly  it  is  not  one  of  fact;  and  in  dctermininjr  that  thetireati'r 
Ultimate  Reservoir  is  tiie  iit  most  limit  of  the  water-siied  of  the  Mississippi  basin, 
;i  rule  has  l)eeii  followed  which  nature  itself  dictates,  as  ttio  only  .•md  ieasonal)le 
procedure  by  which  to  tind  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

These  conclusions  iire  by  no  meatis  hastily  drawn,  iKjr  are  they  rteeine<l  to  be  of 
any  very  ;:reat  importance  It  is  simply  a  verifii-alion  of  the  discovery  of  ueo- 
i:rapiiic  facts.  They  Ix'come  of  interest,  that  the  minule..|  tibersof  iiat  ure'scause, 
shall  not  be  infrin;;ed.  so  far  as  the  present  subject  is  treated. 

It  should  not  b»,' iield  tiiat  tliese  conclusions  are  drawn  in  opposition  lodistiii- 
Snished  authorities.  The  Royal  (ieofirapliical  So<'iely  of  Kimland.  tlirouy:h  ils 
secretary,  advises  that  it  "has  never  laid  down  any  rule  defining,'  what  constitutes 
the  source  of  a  rlv<;r." 

Prof.  W.  M.  Davis  of  Harvard  CoUeixe  lias  been  kind  enoil-^li  to  enter  into  a  cor- 
respondence in  an  exehaiine  of  vii-ws,  touching  the  quest ioti.  and  it  would  appear 
that  he  inclines  to  the  lonjrest  suifaee  channel,  irhcriirr  it  may  be  found.  This 
view  would  take  him  to  thi' summit  of  tlieUocky  Mountains  for  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi,  al)ove.  beyond,  and  at  the  sidi'  of  the  main  basin  of  the  river,  and  at 
Itasca  lake  It  would  t;ikehimto  the  head  of  Howard  creek,  distinctly  iiat  the 
principal  st  ream,  :iilhoi|i;li  it  is  tlie  most  remott.'  of  all  permanent,  uiunttnuiiliti 
surface  channels  found  flowing  there.  I'lof.  Davis  i.s  regarded  as  a  distinguished 
authority  and  from  him  a  more  extended  and  netirly  oyposite  opinion  is  expressed 
from  tlial  which  comes  fr,;'ii  European  fret)srapliers.  lie  believes  it  to  be  tho  fault 
of  terminology,  t'liiifxinii  to  the  limited  rule  of  a  lonjiest  surface  channel,  nature's 
principal  topographic  features  must  be  ignored,  that  tlu'  lesser  stream  may  be  fol- 


THK  r(».M.M";'.iuNKUs  i»i:taim:i»  si  i;\  i;y 


:,(il 


lowed  III  I  lir  ll('lxlit>  I'f  hi'lil.  tcF  I  111'  1  M'lil^i  HI  iif  I  111'  1)1  ilir||t:il  lU  i| .  In  -laicji  liili 
fur  II  Miiirrt',  niiifly  iiimhi  IIk- i|iii-.liiiii  nf  liii'.'ih  .is  ;i-.i'criiiliicil  ft- im  :irl  iiii!  niilii- 
tcrriiiitfcl  mirfiur  lluMa'.'i-. 

I'lilliiwlii::  I  hcne   Viiryllli:  ami    «li|i'ly   ililVriiiil    iipliiliiiix lifil»iiiii  tnizlil     111-  111- 

t*'i'|iiiliili'il.  wcfi'  il  lint  Itiiil  ail  iK't  ii.'il  \  ii'W  iif  t  111'  |ir4'iiilT>.  i|('iiiiiii-.i  rati'!"  Ihi'  licsi 
cvliji'iii'i-  iif  I'xistln.:  facts,  ami  I  In  mi:  1 1  II  may  ami  dniilit  Ir-s  \\  III  lii'  su'J'.'<"-Ii'iI,  that 
till'  fniiiiiii.:  i>f  ii  '.'iMicral  iiili'  I'niifnnii-  in  tiir  -.(iiim-  uf  I  In-  MK-I— -l|i|)l.  It  iiilLiht  'm- 
\V«-1I  In  liciir  ill  III  I  III  I  t  ll.'lt  till'  If  la  I  Inn  It  hi'lirs,  as  i-niii|iai'i'il  ultll  I  lir  rUiT  sy  ..ictus 
of  tlif>  World.  I'liiisl  It  nil's  a  iii'i-  ■■itiliii'iit  irfi'ii'in'i".  i'i|iiali'd  liy  ffW.  iiiid  cM-fcdfil 
liy  till  prlin'ltial  wiitiT  I'mirsi- nf  tin- lart  li.  iiialiitiiliiiiii:  iiiTi-iiiilal  rl  Vi*r  draliia;;*' 
('oiiHlitt>rlii'.;  rlliiiutli'  cxtmnrs,  vai'liiiis  t'i|iii-.'l'U|iliic  fi'iitiirt's.  imiiintiiin  Miniccs. 
1,'iUi'H  a^id  iiihinr  rIviTs  and  strfams.  wlilrli  art*  I'oiit  illiiitory  In  llif  main  ilvcr  nf 
till'  Mls>|«sl|)|il  liiislii.  It  may  In-  well  assiTli-d.  thai  II  luis  no  siiptTlnr,  and  didlltfi- 
alraml  innsldM-ati-  ai'tinn  In  ilia«  In;;  I'nnrliisjnn-*  frmii  an  I'vaiulnallnn  as  tn  Its 
III  ninst  snni'fi'.  niiv;lit  nnl  In  In-  made  iMnfnrmlilaMi'  tnnlisciirr  st  ii'Hiiili'ts,  tn  whli'li 
a  irfiii'ial  Unnwlfd^ri'  «  ill  ih'mi-  \>r  dliii-ti'd 

Tin-  tn|)n.rr.-i|)lilr  and  l:>  ilini:i-a|ihli'  fi-al  iiiis  Inimidialidy  rniini'iMi'd  wit  h  t  hr  l■\- 
t  rciiic  Ilinll  nl'  till'  .Missis>||i|)i  hasiii.  have  lii'i'ii  fniind  to  lie  an  Inii-ii'stlin;  study, 
and  part  li'iilar  i-ari'  has  hfi'ii  ohsi'rM'd  In  pnsfnl  liiK  only  tin-  f:u'ls,  ^rt'oiiraphli- 
and  historic,  siitHidt'nlly  llliisirati'«l.  w  hiiOi  prfscnt  In  cnnniTl  inn  with  llir  f^iiaiilsli 

and    l'rfiii-h   disj-iivi-rii's,    in   tinsi-whn   dislri'   It.    a   iiinii inplctc    ri-i'nid    fn.m 

w  lili'h  In  fnllow  the  risi-  and  i-oiirsi'  nf  mir  Kri-ali'st  rivi-r. 


APPENDIX. 


flow  THE  MISSISSIPPI  PvIVER  AND  THE  LAKE  OF  THE 
WOODS  BECAME  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  ESTABLISH- 
MENT OF  THE  NORTHWESTERN  BOUNDARY  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


I!^     Al.KUKK   .).    UlLI,. 


i!  1.      INTKODfCTOKY. 

About  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  north  of  the  Itascan  or  true 
source  of  the  Mississippi  river,  or  eighty-five  of  those  of  Turtle  river, 
its  northern  branch,  lies  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  At  this  lake  begins 
that  part  of  the  boundary  of  the  United  States  that  is  formed  by  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  which  thence  pursues  its  west- 
ward course  until  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  ocean  are  reached  in  far 
distant  Washington.  But  yet,  leaving  Alaska  out  of  consideration, 
this  line  does  not  form  the  most  northern  limit  of  the  American  pos- 
sessions: for,  at  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  by  the  boundary  line  being 
carried  some  thirty  miles  to  the  northward  and  westward  from  the 
mouth  of  Rainy  Lake  river,  and  then  due  south  to  the  forty-ninth 
parallel,  a  tract  of  land  is  included  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
square  miles  in  extent.  This  is  the  most  northern  laLd,  with  the 
exception  noted,  under  American  rule,  but  it  is  practically  valueless, 
being  mostly  covered  with  a  deep  bog;  and,  in  addition,  is  inaccessible 
from  other  American  soil  except  by  crossing  the  broad  surface  of  the 
lake. 

Why  was  this  line  so  run?  The  question  has  been  oft^n  asked,  and 
at  various  times  answered  in  print,  but  not  so  fully  as  the  subject 
allows  or,  it  may  be,  is  worthy  of.  That  the  boundary  was  not  origin- 
ally established  in  order  to  include  the  tract  of  land  described,  nor  yet 
any  particular  bay  or  other  actual  topographical  feature  of  the  lake, 
is  sure.  None  of  the  statesmen  who  from  time  tt>  time  gave  attention 
-20 


306  THE   MISSISSIPPI    KIVEK   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

to  the  matter,  toward  the  end  of  the  last  century  or  in  the  first  two 
decades  of  this  one,  had  any  correct  knowledge  of  the  lake  in  gen- 
eral, much  less  of  any  particular  part  of  it. 

f  ue  head-waters  of  the  Mississippi  are  in  no  way  connected  with 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods:  neither  hydrographically,  for  they  flow  into 
different  seas;  nor  corumercially,  for  no  trade  route  ever  ran  between 
them.  Yet  they  were  long  connected  politically,  seeing  that  during  a 
period  of  time  equalling  two  generations  their  relationships  were  dis- 
cussed at  intervals  by  the  diplomatists  of  two  nations,  and  their 
names  wtjre  often  met  with  in  the  state  papers  of  the  two  countries. 

This  article  is  not  designed  for  a  complete  account  of  the  North- 
western boundary  of  diplomacy,  but  only  for  a  history  of  that  portion 
of  it  which  lies  westward  of  the  mouth  of  the  Rainy  Lake  river,  in 
order  to  illustrate  the  political  connection  referred  to,  and  therefore 
as  little  matter  as  possible  is  introduced  that  does  not  concern  the 
U»pic  so  restricted.  Still,  as  some  point  on  the  upper  Mississippi  river 
was  a  sine  qua  non  of  the  very  earliest  projects  for  the  establishment 
of  a  national  boundary  in  the  northwest,  brief  statements  of  them  and 
their  fortunes  have  to  be  given;  for,  if  this  were  not  done  the  reader 
would  not  be  placed  in  possession  of  a  knowledge  of  all  the  most  im- 
portant incidents— now  attainable— that  contributed  to  the  creation 
of  a  curious  geographical  and  political  imbroglio. 

In  the  presentation  of  the  facts  a  chronological  ordc^r  is  followed  as 
far  as  practicable. 

^2.    The  first  ruoposmoNs  fou  a  nortiiwesteun  uounu- 

AKY   TO   THE  UNITED  STATES:  AND  THE   LINE  FINALLY 
AOREED  UPON.      1779-1783. 

Canada  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain  in  1763,  and  by  this  cession  were 
necessarily  ended  all  th(>  persistent  claims  that  had  been  made  by  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  a  line  of  demarcation  which  should  divide 
their  occupancy  and  territory  from  those  of  the  French  in  North  Am- 
erica. But  within  twenty  years  another  boundary  line  was  defined 
that  trenched  upon  the  water-shed  of  the  Bay  of  Hudson,  and  even 
entered  the  territory  of  the  Company  as  they  understood  it;  but  witli 
this  new  boundary  neither  of  the  former  parties  had  anything  to  do. 


APPENDIX.  307 

In  her  turn  Great  Britain  had  been  shorn  of  American  possessions 
V)y  the  successful  revolt  of  her  colonies,  but  not  deprived  of  all  of 
them;  for,  in  addition  to  Florida,  she  still  retained  the  icy  regions  of 
tlie  far  north,  as  well  as  Canada,  i.e.,  whatever  territory  this  latter 
term  might  be  construed  to  imply. 

The  war  between  the  ci-devant  colonies  and  the  mother  country  was 
still  in  full  blast— and  by  no  means  displaying  the  most  favorable  as- 
pect for  the  former  in  the  light  of  the  capture  of  Savannah  by  the 
English,  whi^h  had  occurred  but  a  short  time  before— when  the  ques- 
tion of  the  future  boundaries  of  the  new  nation  llrst  came  up  for  dis- 
cussion by  its  representatives  in  Congress. 

It  was  in  February,  1779,  that  Gerard,  the  minister  from  France  to 
the  United  States,  urged  upon  Congress  the  appointment  of  a  commis- 
sioner to  take  part  in  negotiations  for  a  general  peace,  when  such 
should  occur;  as  it  became  necessary  to  formulate  conditions  beyond 
the  main  demand  of  independence.  On  the  23d  of  that  month,  there- 
fore, a  special  committee,  to  whom  had  been  referred  certain  "official 
letters  and  communications  received  from  Paris,"  reported  that  cer- 
tain articles  were  absolutely  necessary  for  the  safety  and  independence 
of  the  United  States  and  therefore  ought  to  be  insisted  on  as  the  ulti- 
matum. The  first  of  these  articles  was  concerning  the  bounds,  whicii 
were  to  be  as  follows: 

"  Northerly  by  the  ancient  limits  of  Canada,  as  contended  for  by 
Great  Britain,  running  from  Nova  Scotia  south-westerly,  west,  and 
north-westerly,  to  Lake  Nepissing,  thence  a  west  line  to  the  Missis- 
sippi;   *       *       *       *    ind  westerly  by  the  river  Mississippi." 

On  March  19,  "Congress  took  into  consideration  the  report  of  the 
Committee  of  the  Whole,  and  agreed  to  the  following  ultimata: 

"1.  That  the  thirteen  United  States  are  bounded  north  by  a  line 
*****  thence  due  west  in  the  latitude  of  forty-flve 
degrees  north  from  the  equator,  to  the  north-western  most  side  of  tlia 
river  St.  Lawrence,  or  Cadaroqui;  thence  strait  to  the  south  end  of 
Lake  Nepissing,  and  thence  strait  to  the  source  of  the  river  Missis- 
sippi; west  by  aline  to  be  drawn  along  the  middle  of  the  river  Missis- 
sippi from  its  source  to  where  the  said  line  shall  intersect  the  latitude 
of  thirty-one  degrees  north,''  &c. 


308  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVEH   AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

This  second  description  of  the  boundary  was,  on  August  14,  embodied 
by  Congress  in  the  draft  of  instructions  then  approved  by  them  for 
the  use  of  the  minister  to  be  appointed  to  negotiate  a  peace.  Contin- 
uing, the  instructions  read: 

"But,  notwithstanding  the  clear  right  of  these  States  *  *  » 
that  if  the  line  to  be  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  the  lake  Nepissing  to 
the  head  of  the  Mississippi  cannot  be  obtained  without  continuing 
the  war  for  that  purpose,  you  are  hereby  empowered  to  agree  to  some 
other  line  between  that  point  and  the  river  Mississippi;  provided  the 
same  shall  in  no  part  thereof  be  to  the  southward  of  latitude  forty- 
five  degrees  north,"  &c. 

John  Adams  was  the  man  chosen  for  such  commissioner,  receiving 
his  appointment  from  Congress  on  September  27.  He  was  to  treat 
with  Great  Britain  whenever  that  power  should  be  prepared  to 
acknowledge  the  independence  of  the  United  States.  So  Mr.  Adams 
went  to  France,  but  official  influence  there  was  thrown  against  the 
initiation  of  a  treaty  at  that  time,  and  by  one  man,  unless  the  man 
were  P^'ranklin,  the  minister  already  on  the  ground.  Next  year  he 
repaired  to  Holland,  where  he  was  appointed  minister. 

But  on  June  1").  1781,  Mr.  Adams'  commission  was  annulled  by 
Congress,  and  he  was  reappointed  as  one  of  five  persons  to  negotiate 
the  desired  treaty  with  England.  His  colleagues  were  to  be  Benjamin 
Franklin,  John  Jay,  Henry  Laurens,  and  Thomas  Jefferson.  To  these 
Ave  commissioners,  or  a  majority  of  them,  or  even  one  alone  in  case 
of  accident,  was  given  the  power  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace;  and  they 
were  not  to  be  tied  up  by  absolute  and  peremptory  directions,  except 
as  to  absolute  independencee  of  the  States  and  integrity  of  existing 
treaties  with  France.  They  were  directed,  however,  that  in  the  last 
recourse  they  were  to  take  the  advice  of  Vergennes,  the  French  min- 
ister of  foreign  affairs,  in  their  negotiations  with  the  English  com- 
missioners. 

On  the  English  side  there  was  but  one  plenipotentiary,  Richard 
Oswald,  though  later  he  was  reinforced  by  the  presence  and  advice  of 
Mr.  Strachey,  one  of  the  British  undersecretaries.  Mr.  Oswald  went  to 
Paris  in  the  spring  of  1782,  though  he  was  not  fully  commissioned, 
according  to  the  American  Ideas,  until  September  21. 


APPENDIX.  309 

Benjamin  Franklin  had  already  been  establislicd  in  I'aris  some  foui* 
years  as  minister  plenipotentiary.  Oswald  and  Franlvlin  therefore  had 
many  interviews  before  any  of  the  other  commissioners  arrived.  Jay 
arrived  on  June  2.'id,  and  Adams  cm  Oct.  2Hth.  Just  before  the  latter's 
arrival,  Mr.  Strachey  had  come  over  from  London,  accompanied  by  a 
clerk  of  the  Plantations  otlice,  who  brou^'ht  with  him  lK>oks,  maps  and 
papers  relative  to  boundaries.  Laurens  could  come  only  two  days 
before  the  conclusion  of  the  discussions,  and  Jefiferson  could  not  come 
at  all. 

The  discussions  of  the  comniissit)ners  in  regard  to  the  boundary  of 
the  United  States  have  not  yet,  it  seems,  been  published  in  detail. 
The  records  of  their  proceedings,  kept  by  the  st'cretary,  are  said  to  be 
lost.  From  the  diplomatic  correspondence  of  the  American  com- 
missioners, however,  so  far  as  it  has  been  publisht'd.  thf  fdUowing  facts 
have  been  derived: 

On  October  5th,  Mr.  Jay  handed  to  Oswald  tlu'  American  articles, 
which  had  been  drawn  up  very  fully  by  hiiii. 

On  the  8th  of  the  same  month  certain  articles  were  agreed  upon  be- 
tween Frankin,  Jay,  and  Oswald,  which  were  sent  to  England  for  the 
king's  consideration.  The  tirst  one  detlned  the  boundary  according 
to  the  description  authorized  by  Congress  on  Marcii  19,  1779,  already 
copied  here. 

When  the  draft  of  October  8,  returned  from  England,  a  second  set 
was  agreed  upon,  on  November  5,  by  the  four  commissioners,  Mr. 
Adams  being  now  present.  In  this  second  s(>t  the  western  part  of  the 
boundary  was  given  as  running 

"To  the  forty-flfth  degree  of  north  latitude,  following  the  said  lati- 
tude until  it  strikes  the  river  Mississippi;  thence  by  a  line  to  be  drawn 
along  the  middle  of  the  said  river  Mississippi,  until  it  shall  intersect 
the  northernmost  part  of  the  thirty-Hrst  degree  of  latitude  north  of 
the  equator,"  etc. 

The  very  same  day  Mr.  Strachev  set  out  for  London  with  these 
amended  articles. 

The  next  day  John  Adams,  writing  to  Mr.  Livingston,  the  Secre- 
tary of  Foreign  affairs,  said:  "We  have  at  last  agreed  to  boundaries 
with  the  greatest  moderation.    We  have  offered  them  the  choice  of  a 


iilO  THK    MISSISSIIMM    KIVKIt    AND    ITS   SOUKCE. 

line  through  the  middle  of  all  the  great  lakes,  or  the  line  of  forty- 
five  degrees  of  latitude,  the  Mississippi,  with  a  free  navigation  of 
it  at  one  end,  and  the  river  St.  Croix  at  the  other."' 

Mr.  Strachoy  reached  London  on  the  10th  of  the  month,  and  receiv- 
ing his  new  instructions  on  the  21st,  was  back  in  Paris  again  by  the 
24th. 

On  the  2.")th,  Adams,  Franklin  and  Jay,  met  at  Mr.  Oswald's 
lodgings,  "and  after  some  conference  Mr.  Oswald  delivered  to  them 
the  following  articles  as  fresh  proposals  of  the  British  ministry,  sent 
by  Mr.  Strachey."  In  these  articles  the  second  one  defined  l)oundaries 
for  the  United  States,  and  the  words  there  used  wore  precisely  the 
same  as  those  employed  in  the  Provisional  Articles  of  Peace,  signed 
only  five  days  later,  on  November  30.  So  far  as  concerned  the  north- 
western boundary  of  the  United  States  the  said  words  ran  as  follows: 

"Through  Lake  Superior  and  northward  of  the  isles  Royal  and  Pheli- 
peaux,  to  the  Long  Lake:  thence  through  the  middle  of  said  Long 
Lake,  and  the  water  communication  between  it  and  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  to  the  said  Lake  of  the  Woods;  thence  through  the  said  lake 
to  the  most  northwestern  point  thereof,  and  from  thence  on  a  due 
west  course  to  the  river  Mississippi;  thence  by  a  line  to  be  drawn  along 
the  middle  of  the  said  river  Mississippi  until  it  shall  intersect  the 
northernmost  part  of  the  thirty-first  degree  of  north  latitude." 

In  addition,  the  navigation  of  the  river  Mississippi,  from  its  source 
to  the  ocean,  was  to  remain  forever  free  and  open  to  the  subjects  of 
Great  Britan,  and  the  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

An  entry  in  Mr.  Adams'  journal,  of  the  HOth,  stated  that  the  com- 
missioners were  told  that  the  British  government  did  not  oppose  the 
the  boundary,  they  only  thought  it  too  extended,  too  vast  a  country  ; 
but  that  they  would  not  make  a  difticulty.i 


1  The  French  iind  Spanisli  sovcrnnients,  liowevcr,  thoujrli  tlie  first  was  an  ally, 
and  tlie  second  friondly  to  the  cause  of  the  1,'nitod  States,  were,  in  their  iiearts,  not 
so  easily  reconciled.  They  had  desired  to  see  tiie  new  nation  restricted  to  the  east 
of  the  Allegliany  mountains,  south  of  Pennsylvaniu,  and  to  tlie  east  of  the  Chat- 
tahoochee river  fartiier  south.  Wlien  the  territ(.)rial  pretensions  of  tlie  American 
plenipotentiaries  were  fully  understood  the  French  statesmen  were  astounded. 
Verj^ennes,  (writing  on  October  14.)  even  styled  them  "a  delirium."  and  secretly 
repudinted  the  ide;i  of  the  Tnited  Stateslieinsr  allowed  to  nionopoli/e  the  continetit. 


AI'PENDIX.  811 

Kranklin.  on  December  5th,  w riling  lo  Mr.  Livingston,  said  tliat 
much  of  the  summer  was  taken  up  V)y  wranylinjf  about  powers.  '".M- 
ter  sonn!  weeks,  an  under-secn'tary,  Mr.  Strachey,  arrived,  with  whom 
w(!  had  much  contestation  about  thi-  boundaries  and  other  articles 
which  he  proposed  and  we  settled;  some  of  which  he  carried  to  Lon- 
don, and  returned  with  other  propositions,  some  adopted,  others  omit- 
ted or  altered,  and  new  ones  added.  *  *  *  *  They  wanted  to  brinm' 
their  boundary  down  to  the  Ohio,  and  to  settle  their  loyalists  in  the 
Illinois  country.    We  did  not  choose  such  neij^hbors." 

The  four  American  commissioners  in  their  joint  letter  to  Mr.  Liv- 
ingston of  Decemlier  14th,  said  that:  "The  court  of  Great  iiritain  in- 
sisted on  retaining  all  the  territories  comprehended  within  the  Pro- 
vince of  Quebec  by  the  act  of  Parliament  respecting  it  1  *  *  *  * 
and  they  claimed  not  only  all  the  lands  in  the  western  country  and  on 
the  Mississippi,  which  were  not  expressly  included  in  our  charters  and 
governments,  but  also  all  such  lands  within  them  as  remained  nn- 
granted  l)y  the  King  of  Great  Uritain.  "  lie  said  that  it  would  be  use-- 
less  to  enumerate  all  the  discussions  and  arguments  they  had  cm  the 
subject. 

In  reply  March  25th,  1783,  Mr.  Livingston  said:  ''The  iMiuiularies 
are  as  extensive  as  we  have  a  right  to  expect." 

Adams,  Franklin,  and  Jay  remained  in  Paris  after  signing  the  Pro- 
visional Articles,  as  commissioners  for  making  a  Definitive  Treaty. 
Though  ten  months  were  spent  in  discussion  by  the  plenipotentiaries 
of  both  powers,  nothing  further  could  be  decided  upon.  Therefore, 
on  September  3d,  1783,  they  signed  the  Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace: 
which  instrument  was  in  exactly  the  same  words  as  those  used  in  tlie 
Provisional  Articles  that  preceded  it,  boundary  description  and  all. 

The  description  of  the  northwestern  boundary  line  looked  at  in  the 
light  of  the  geographical  information  the  commissioners  were  guided 
by  was  clear  enough,  but  as  tested  later  by  natural  facts  it  was  found 
insufficient;  and  even  in  part,  where  it  regarded  the  extreme  western 

1  This  act  was  passed  In  1774— most  probably  to  annoy  the  clisatTected  Yankees. 
Its  southern  boundary  was  the  Ohio  river,  and  its  western  was  formed  liy  tiie  Miss- 
issippi, from  tlie  moiitli  of  the  Ohio,  runninj;  northward  to  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  territory  granted  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 


812  'rill':  mississiim';   ki\ku  and  ns  souiu'K. 

liiiiitatidii  lit    territory,   a  physicul   itnpossihility.     Still,  soim-  sixty 
yoars  elapsed  before  the  final  detlnilion  (if  this  boundary  was  framed. 

?  :J.      TiIK  (iKOOKArillCAI.  KICKORS  ok  TirK  TKKATIKS  OK  18"2-."i. 

hefore  detining  tli*-  rxact  nature  nl  the  geographical  err(»r  just  refer- 
red to,  and  telling  of  the  successive  steps  wliich  were  taken  toward  its 
rectitlcation,  a  few  cautittnary  words  concerning  the  pctlitical  niorali- 
tiea  <»f  the  subject  are  in  (»rder. 

The  reader  should  dismiss  from  his  mind  any  idea  of  injustice  in  the 
case.  He  must  consider  that  international  treaties  are  only  bargains 
on  a  large  scale,  in  which  one  or  other  of  the  high  contractintr  parties 
is  liable  to  be  over-reached,  and  that  sometimes  the  decisions  made  are 
not  in  accordance  with  reason  and  abstract  justice;  but  yet,  that  the 
compacts  having  been  signed  tht'  matter  is  settled.  When,  however, 
questions  of  territorial  boundaries  have  l»een  discussed  with  a  view  to 
international  agreement,  faulty  di'cisions  in  such  cases  are  by  no 
means  always  lo  be  attributed  to  great  astuteness  on  one  side,  and 
simplicity  on  the  other:  for  a  laclc  of  previous  correct  geographical  in- 
formaLion,  from  which  had  resulted  erroneous  anil  misleading  maps, 
is  the  most  likely  cause.  After  all.  boundary  agreements  can  scarcely 
be  anything  but  compromises,  and  if  it  should  appear  later  on  that 
the  decision  was  somewhat  unfair  to  one  party  yet  it  would  not  Ite  con- 
siden.'d  dignified  for  the  other  to  then  clamor  for  reconsideration.' 

1 A  curiDus  iustaiice  of  ;i  ^riviit  natiim  (iiiictly  abiiiHldiiiii;;  patt  of  its  hoiiruiaiv 
lino  as  estalilisliod  l)y  treaty,  and  ailoptiii-:  anutlici'  oiu'  wliicli  liad  l)ceri  located  er- 
i-oneoiisly  as  tlio  true  one.  issliown  in  tlie  beliavioi'  of  (iicat  Itritain  towards  tfie 
I'nited  States  in  the  matter  of  tlic  iiortluTii  boundary  of  New  ^'orl<  and  Vermont, 
where  it  is  constituted  l)y  tlie  forty-tifth  parallel  of  nortli  latitude.  Tliis  line, 
rimnini;  from  tlie  St.  Lawrence  to  tlie  Connect  icut  river,  was  surveyed  and  tuarked 
some  years  before  1T70.  but  nut  correctly.  Many  years  later,  in  ifrnoramv  of  this 
fact,  the  United  States  frovernment  be^an  to  fortify  Rouse's  Point  on  Lalie  Chaniii- 
lain.  In  l!*l^<,  the  surveys  of  tlie  boiitidary  commi.ssioiiers  proved  tli.-it  the  fortific.-i- 
tions  were  on  British  'ground.  The  map  of  tlie  survey  l)y  Col.  .T.  D.  Graham,  of  tlie  U. 
S.EnRineers,  pulilislied  in  1843,  sliows  theestablislied  line  at  that  point  to  l)e4.:!2B  feet 
north  of  tlie  true  boundary.  Tlie  first  surveyors  liad  intended  to  ijur.'ue  a  due  east 
course  from  tliejiroper  intersection  of  the  said  jiarallel  with  the  St.  Lawrenj'e 
river,  but.  dellecting  to  the  left  soniewliat.  and  Iceepinjr  to  the  left  more  or  less  all 
the  way.  they  struck  the  Connecticut  river  three  tiuarters  of  a  mile  to  the  nortl',- 
ward  of  whore  they  should  have  reached  it.  However,  the  Kritisli  trovernment  ac- 
cepted this  old  established  line,  and  the  boundary  in  tlie  treaty  of  1842  was  descril)- 
ed  so  as  to  conform  to  it. 


AI'I'HN'DIX.  3i:{ 

As  a  matter  of  coursf,  in  Ihf  si'ttU'tuciit  ol  houndarifs  l)etwi'<'n 
nations,  thf  statesmen  (IfU'KaU'd  lo  (lu  the  wnrl<  requin'  maps  of  the 
re^rions  c-(»n('t'rne(l,  all  they  can  j;tt  atul  the  licst  they  can  ^ret :  for  they 
eannot  ^'o  out  and  view  llif  country  lil<e  road  conuuissioners.  That 
the  pleni|)otentiaries  (»f  1782  in  charge  of  tht-  matter  of  decidiii^f  upon 
a  line  of  demarcation  between  the  possessions  of  the  British  Crown, 
and  thost."  of  the  I'nited  States  had  all  the  maps  they  needed,  print«'d 
at  least,  seems  to  be  established  by  their  own  testimony. 

•John  Adams,  writing;  in  October,  1774,  .said  "We  bad  before  us, 
througli  tlif  whole  ne^rotiations.  a  variety  of  maps,  but  it  was  Mitch- 
ell's map  up<jn  whidi  was  marked  out  the  whole  of  the  boundary  lines 
of  the  United  States."'  l'>enjamin  Franklin,  likewise,  in  a  letter  to 
.letlerson,  of  April  8,  I79(),  thus  expres.sed  himself:  '•]  c-an  assure  you 
that  I  am  perfectly  clear  in  the  remembrance  that  the  map  we  u.sed  in 
tracing  the  boundary,  was  brought  to  the  treaty  by  theCommi.ssioners 
from  England,  and  that  it  was  the  same  as  that  published  by  Mitchell 
twenty  years  before. "" 

These  maps  which  the  plenipotentiaries  bad  liefore  them  were  no 
doubt  more  particularly  needed  for  the  settlement  of  the  lini'  in  tlie 
east,  where  for  generations  the  French  and  English  had  been  directly 
opposed.  As  for  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  i)oundary,  the  chances 
are  that  but  little  criticism  of  a  geographical  kind  was  exercised  in 
regard  to  it,  or  comparison  of  maps  made;  for  if  there  had  been  the 
inferiority  of  their  adopted  map  to  the  maps  of  the  PYench  geogra- 
l)hers,  and  to  such  English  maps  as  were  founded  on  the  French  ones, 
in  regard  to  the  hydrograpliy  of  the  country  beyond  Lake  Superior, 
would  have  been  at  once  perceived. 

Now  this  "Mitch»'ll  map,"  which  had  been  otiicially  accepted  by  the 
commissioners,  and  on  which  they  marked  the  boundary,  was  compiled 
in  England  by  John  Mitch'^11,  at  the  request  of  the  Lord  Commission- 
ers of  Trade  and  Plantations.  It  bore  their  approval  of  date  February 
la,  1755,  and  was  published  in  that  year,  two  editions  of  it  it  is  said. 
The  significance  of  it,  as  respects  the  topic  under  discussion,  is  this 
—it  contained  two  very  grave  geographical  errors. 

The  first  one  was,  that  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  instead  of  being 
represented  as  the  lowest  of  a  chain  of  lakes  and  connecting  streams 


yi4  THK    MISSISSIIMM    UiVKU   ANIJ    ITS   SOUltCK.  • 

whose  waters  ran  norlhwcstwarfl,  was  shown  as  h«'in>(  Iht.'  head  of 
such  a  chain  whosr  \vat»'rs  ran  to  th«!  eastward.  t<>  Lonu  Lako  and 
Lake  Superior. 

In  other  words  the  map  ignored  the  dividing  rid^e  or  luniteHr  dcs  ten-cn 
that  sepanif  s  the  waters  running  to  llu?  Lake  of  the  Woods,  from 
those  that  run  a  much  shorter  distance  int»»  Pijreon  river,  (the  Lon»r 
Lake  of  the  treaty)  and  Lake  Superior. 

The  result  of  this  llrst  error  was  that  this  len^jthy  "water  coinrauni- 
cation"' of  the  map  was  assumed  t(,  be  the  head  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
system  of  waters,  and  so  was  followed  for  the  boundary;  whereas  the 
true  head-waters  of  this  great  river  are  those  that  find  their  way  into 
Lake  Superior,  through  the  channel  of  the  smaller  river  of  the /on*? 
flu  lac  of  the  map,  our  present  St  Louis  river. 

The  second  error  was  the  placing  of  the  sources  of  tlie  Mississippi 
Ronae  three?  degrees  northward  of  their  true  latitude.  The  head  of  the 
river  was  not  actually  shown  on  the  Mitchell  map,  for  the  southern 
l)order  of  a  corner  map  hindered  further  delineation  of  it,  but  was 
mentioned  on  the  main  map  in  these  words,  viz: 

"The  head  of  the  Miesissippi  in  not  yet  known.  It  is  supposed  to 
arise  about  the  fiftieth  degree  of  latitude  and  western  bounds  of  this 
map."  The  result  of  this  second  error  was,  that  in  making  the  bound- 
ary run  due  west  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Mississippi  river 
the  plenipotentiaries  of  1782  unwittingly  called  for  a  geometrical  im- 
possibility. 

In  some  palliation  of  the  errors  of  this  map,  in  the  matter  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  by  way  of  excuse  for  the  commissioners  in  being 
guided  by  it  in  their  definition  of  the  northwestern  boundary,  another 
official  British  map  may  be  mentioned.  This  was  an  elaborate  atlas 
of  the  Americas,  in  twenty  sheets,  compiled  by  Mr.  Popple,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  same  Lords  as  Mitchell's,  and  published  in  1732  or  1733. 
On  the  proper  sheet  of  this  Popple  map  was  indicated  "The  head  of 
the  Mississippi,  in  about  the  fiftieth  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  in 
a  very  boggy  country. '"i 


1  Popple  probably  U)ok  his  ii  formation  for  this  part  of  the  country  from  the 
i^arlier  maps  of  I)e  I'lsle,  the  1  n-nch  geographer,  on  which  the  sources  are  laid 
»lown  as  far  uorth  as  50''.  or  even  beyond;  and  Indicated  as  being  in  a  very  "boggy 
country"  too.  pays  mnrramenr. 


AI'PKNDIX.  315 

Very  Hkely  th»'  commiHKiotit'rs  huvitiK  I'oiind  lh»'ir  map  satisfact<»rv 
a«  regarded  the  eastern  ('(tiintry  never  dn-anied  of  its  cnfirnious  mis- 
apprehensions of   the  ^fco^frapliy  of  the  n-^ion  Iwyttntl  Lalce  Suiwrior. 

'i  ').      TlIK   rNKXKClJTKl)  AUI  K'l.K  Ol     THE  TltKATY  OK  1794. 

The  plenip(»tentiaries  (  f  178;}  had  l)ef(»re  them  other  inn-stions  iliaii 
those  settled  in  1782,  but,  as  before  intimated,  they  were  not  aide  to 
agree  upon  any  of  thetn,  and  so  left  them  for  future  nc>;i,»  iation.  He- 
sides  thest>  unsettlt'd  matters  new  ones  had  come  up  since  the  signing 
of  the  peace,  arising  from  the  failure  of  the  contracting  parties  to  re- 
spectively carry  out  certain  stipulations  of  the  treaty.  \'ery  naturally, 
therefore,  in  a  few  years  steps  were  taken  to  reoi)en  negotiations. 

In  1791  the  attention  of  the  British  government  vas  called  to  the 
fact  that  their  garrisons  had  not  yet  been  withdrawn  from  the  north- 
ern parts  as  reouired  by  the  7th  article  of  this  definitive  treaty.  The 
ready  reply  was:  thai  it  was  in  conse<iuence  of  the  non-compliance  of 
the  American  government  with  the  agreements  contained  in  the  4th, 
5th  and  fith  articles  of  the  same  instrument.     2'm  '/mck/^c 

The  next  move  was  taken  nearly  three  years  later.  On  April  Ittth, 
1794,  President  Washington  commissioned  John  Jay— the  hardest 
worker  of  the  plenipotentiaries  of  1782,  now  chief  justice-as  envoy  ex- 
traordinary to  proceed  to  London  and  enter  into  consultation  with  the 
British  government,  with  a  view  to  an  amicai)le  adjustment  of  the 
differences  betwecii  the  two  countries. 

Among  the  questions  discussed  l)y  him  and  Lord  Grenville,  the 
British  minister,  was  that  of  the  northwestern  Ixtundary.  The  latter 
gentleman,  giving  voice  to  a  suspicion  that  had  been  forming  itself  in 
the  public  mind,  considfuc^d  it  to  be  an  establislied  fact  that  a  due 
west  linti  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Mississippi  river  would 
pass  entirely  to  the  north  of  any  of  the  sources  of  that  stream. i  In 
accordance  with  this  supposition  he  suggested  to  the  American  envoy 
two  new  lines  between  the  waters  of  Lake  Superior  and  the  Mississ- 


IMost  probably,  after  the  treaty  of  1TK{  was  sinned,  there  hail  been  some  examin- 
ation in  British  irovernnientofflces  of  otiier  maps  tlian  tlie  Mitcliell  one.  Not  to 
mention  tliose  of  France,  tliey  wcuUI  find  tliat  tlie  majis  in  t  lie  .Tefferys  atlas  of  1776. 
and  those  of  1T78  In  Capt.  Carver's  boolv  of  travels,  ^ave  no  eountenaneo  to  the  the- 
ory that  the  Mississippi  headed  in  a  higher  latitude  than  that  in  which  lay  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods. 


310  THE    MISSISSIPPI   KIVEK   AND    ITS    SOUKCE. 

ippi,  either  of  which  would  rectify  the  gooi^niphical  error  of  1782-."}. 
The  first  was,  a  line  drawn  due  west  from  "the  l)Ottom  of  West  Bav- 
in the  said  Lake"  t(»  the  "river  of  the  Red  Lake,  or  eastern  branch  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  down  the  said  brancli  to  the  main  river  of  the 
Mississippi. '■'  The  other  plan  was,  to  follow  the  "water  communica- 
tion" descril)ed  in  the  treaties  until  a  point  due  north  of  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Croix  river  should  be  reached,  whence  a  line  should  be  run  di- 
rect to  tlie  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  its  said  tributary.  Mr.  Jay 
would  not  listen  at  all  to  such  proposals,  which  involved  a  cession  or 
territory.  Nor  was  he  willing,'  to  concede  to  his  lordship  that  the  po- 
sition of  the  head  of  the  Mississippi  in  relation  to  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  was  certainly  known.  He  sugj^ested,  however,  that  the  truth 
should  be  ascertained  by  actual  survey,  and  to  this  proposition  the 
British  minister  agieed. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  these  two  ^^entlemeii  signed  a  treaty  on 
behalf  of  their  respective  governments.  The  fourth  article  of  it  is  the 
only  one  necessary  to  recite  here — it  was  as  follows: 

"Article  IV.  Whereas,  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  river  Mississippi 
extends  so  far  to  the  northward  as  to  be  intersected  l)y  a  line  to  be 
drawn  due  west  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  in  the  manner  mentioned 
in  the  treaty  of  peace  ])etween  his  majesty  and  the  United  States:  it 
is  agreed,  that  measuresshall  be  taken  in  concert  Ix'tween  his  majesty's 
government  in  America  and  the  government  of  the  United  States,  for 
making  a  joint  survey  of  tlae  said  river  from  one  degree  of  latitude 
l)eIow  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  to  the  principal  source  or  sources  of 
the  said  river,  and  also  of  the  parts  adjacijnt  then'to;  and  that  if  on 
the  result  of  such  survey.  It  should  appear  that  the  said  river  would 
not  be  intersected  l)ysuch  a  line  as  is  above  mentioned,  the  two  parties 
will  thereupon  pntceed  by  amicable  negotiation,  to  regulate  the  boun- 
dary line  in  that  (juarter." 

However  much  geographers  of  the  time — and  some,  even,  of  the 
present  day— may  have  regretted  it,  no  survey  of  the  kind  was  ever 
made  by  the  governments  interested.  It  was,  not  very  long  after, 
found  to  be  unnecessary,  so  far  as  the  question  of  the  relative  latitudes 
of  the  lake  and  tlie  riv;>r  were  concerned;  for  the  visit  of  the  astrono- 
mer David  Thompson,  in   1798,  to   the  most  northern  sources  of  the 


1  Tills  would  liavc  been  ;iii  ;is  iiiipossiblo  a  lino  ;is  the  o!ie  they  wore  trying  1o  find 
a  substitute  for. 


APPENDIX.  317 

Mississippi   at  Turtle  lalce,   proved   tlmt  they  lay  nearly  two  degrci's 
south  of  the  northern  end  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods. 

It  may  therefore  not  be  deemed  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
project  for  the  survey  required  by  the  treaty  of  1794  was  abandoned, 
as  a  useless  expenditure  of  time  and  money,  in  view  of  the  reliable 
f)bservations  made  by  Mr.  Thompson.  The  results  of  his  survey,  so 
far  as  they  pertained  to  this  ([uestion,  were  published  a  few  years  later 
by  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie,  and  seem  to  have  been  accepted  by  all 
interested  in  the  discussions  concerning  the  northwestern  boundary. 

i  .").    The  unuatikikd  convention  ok  iso:?. 

Though  the  official  survey  of  the  upper  Mississippi  rivtT  was  ni'ver 
undertaken  yet  the  clause  of  the  preceding  treaty,  reciuiring  the  two 
parties  to  "proceed  by  amicable  negotiation  to  regulate  the  boundary 
line  in  that  quarter,"  was  not  neglected. 

Mr.  Madison,  Secretary  of  State,  on  the  8th  day  of  June,  1802,  wrote 
to  Rufus  King,  minister  at  London,  commissioning  him  to  adjust  what 
remained  unsettled  as  to  the  boundaries  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  United  States.  In  his  communication  he  recited  how  that  the 
second  article  of  the  treaty  of  1783  was  rendered  nugatory  by  reason 
of  the  impossibility  of  running  a  line  due  west  from  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  to  the  Mississippi,  and  suggested  another  one  in  lieu,  which  was: 
"A  line  running  from  that  source  of  the  Mississippi  which  is  nearest 
to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  striking  it  westwardly  on  a  tangent, 
and  from  the  point  touched  along  the  water-mark  of  the  lake  to  its 
most  northwestern  point  at  which  it  will  meet  the  line  running 
through  the  lake.  The  map  in  McKenzie's  late  publication  is  piossibly 
the  best  to  which  I  can  refer  you  on  this  subject. "i 

At  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  this  letter  Mr.  King  was  absent  from 
London,  and  the  charge  (V  afi'ains,  Christopher  Gore,  acted  in  his 
stead,  and  was  afterwards  commissioned  from  Washington  to  carry  on 
the  negotiations.    On  Sept.  28  Mr.  Gore  had  an  interview  with  Lord 


1  "VoyiiRe  from  Montreal,  on  the  river  St.  Lawrunce,  through  the  continent  of 
North  Aniericii  tothe  Frozen  and  PjK'itie  Oceans,  in  tlie  years  1780  and  17£3.  With  a 
preliminary  a<"o()unt  of  the  rise,  progress  and  present  state  of  the  fur  trade  of  f  liat 
country."    London.  1801. 


318  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND   ITS    SOURCE. 

« 

llawkesbury,  the  British  luinisttT,  in  n'^arrl  to  the  business  intrusted 
t(j  hiiu,  and  (.'ominj^f  to  the  boundary  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to 
the  Mississippi,  pntposed  the  lini;  su)^fgested  by  Mr.  Madison.  He  also 
ujentioned  the  propriety  of  appointing,"-  commissioners  "to  ascertain 
the  local  relation  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Luke  of  the  Woods,  and,  if 
as  was  supjjosed  by  the  treaty  of  peace,  to  run  the  lin(>  there  agreed  on." 

Mr.  Gore,  on  October  '>,  1802,  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  State  his 
interview  with  Lord  Hawkesbury.  In  this  letter,  referring  to  his 
l(»rdship's  views,  he  wrote  as  follows:  "On  that  part  of  the  boundary 
which  is  to  connect  the  northwest  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
with  the  Mississippi,  he  observed  that  it  was  evidently  the  intention 
of  the  treaty  of  peace  that  both  nations  should  have  access  to  and 
enjoy  the  free  use  of  that  river;  and  he  doubtless  meant  that  their 
access  should  be  to  each  nation  through  their  own  territories."  Lord 
11  also  agreed  that  such  a  commission  as  Mr.  Gore  had  prop(»sed,  and 
running  the  line  between  these  two  waters  as  Mr.  Madison  had  pro- 
posed, might  establish  such  a  boundary  as  would  secure  to  each  nation 
this  object.  To  this  Mr.  Gore  made  no  reply  other  than  by  observing 
that  the  line  suggested  was  naturally  what  seemed  to  be  demanded  by 
just  interpretation,  when  such  a  mistake  had  happened  as  was  herein 
supposed. 

On  Decemi)er  16  Madison  wrote  to  King  that  he  judged   from  Mr. 

({ore's  communication  that  the  proposition   made  for  the  adjustment 

of  the  boundary  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  United  States  was  not 

pleasing  to  the  British  government.  The  provision,  however,  was 
considered  by  the  President  as  a  liberal  one,  inasmuch  as  the  more 

obvious  remedy  for  the  error  of  the  treaty  could  have  been  by  aline 

running  due  north  from  the  most  northern  source  of  the  Mississippi, 

and  intersecting  the  line  due  west  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods;  and 

inasmuch  as  the  branch  leading  nearest  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  may 

not  be  the  longest  or  most  navigable  one,  and  may  consequently  favor 

the  wish  of  the  British  government  to  have  access  to  the  latter,"  i 

IThls  reasoning  is  not  very  oiciir.  oxccpt  on  the  assumption  tliat  tlie  administra- 
1ion  at  that  time  took  tlie  view  tliat  tiie  Britisli  possessions  reached  soiUliward  as 
far  as  the  head  of  the  Mississippi.  If  such  a  view  were  entertained,  however,  at 
that  time,  it  was,  not  lonji  after,  al)andoned  for  one  more  favorable  to  tlie  territo- 
rial aggrandizement  of  the  United  States.  A  study  of  the  "possibilities"  of  the 
Louisiana  cession  probably  sufrgested  t!ie  cliani-'c. 


APPENDIX.  319 

Mr.  Martison  furthor  wrote  that  as  the  settlement  of  that  particular 
boundary  would  not  U)T  sonie  time  be  material  it  would  be  better  to 
postpone  it  for  the  present  and  attend  to  the  other  questions  of  boun- 
dary; and  in  the  meantime  further  information  with  respect  to  the 
head-waters  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  country  around  them,  might 
be  sought  l)y  ijoth  parties.  But  that  the  United  States  were  to  be  as 
free  to  be  guided  ])y  the  results  of  such  incjuiries  as  if  they  had  never 
made  the  proposition  referred  to.  If  most  agreeable  to  the  British 
government  to  institute  an  early  survey,  the  President  authorized  Mr. 
Xing  to  concur  in  such  an  agreement. 

However,  the  British  government  was  not  ol)stinate,  and  the  con- 
vention was  drawn  up  l)y  Mr.  King  on  the  11th  of  April,  and  signed 
on  the  12th  of  May,  180:5. 

Mr.  King,  when  transmitting  the  document  the  next  day  to  Mr. 
Madison,  wrote  as  follows  : 

"The  convention  does  not  vary  in  anything  material  from  the  tenor 
of  my  instructions.  *  *  *  The  source  of  the  Mississippi  nearest 
to  the  Lakt!  of  the  Woods,  according  to  Maclcenzie's  report,  will  be 
found  about  twenty-nine  miles  to  the  westward  of  any  part  of  that 
lake,  which  is  represented  to  be  nearly  circular.  Hence  a  direct  line 
between  the  northwesiernmost  part  ftf  the  lake,  and  tne  nearest  source 
of  the  Mississippi,  which  is  preferred  by  this  government,  has  appeared 
to  me  equally  advantageous  with  the  lines  we  had  proposed." 

But  at  the  time  this  convention  was  signed  in  London,  there  had 
been  already  signed  in  Paris  an  instrument  by  which  western  Louisi- 
ana, which  had  just  come  into  the  possession  of  France,  was  ceded  to 
the  United  States:  which  fact  turned  out  to  have  a  very  important 
bearing  on  the  King  treaty.  Buj  it  happened  that  the  news  of  this 
session  did  not  reach  the  American  minister  in  the  former  city  until 
the  15th  of  May,  so  that  he  and  the  British  nobleman  had  come  to  an 
agreement  on  the  northwestern  boundary  question  without  any  refer- 
ence to  the  ownership  of  the  country  west  of  the  sources  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. 

The  convention  was  laid  before  the  Senate  by  the  Presid»!nt  for  their 
approval  on  October  24th.  The  part  of  this  instrument  referring  to  the 


320  TIIK    Ml  SSI  SSI  I  MM    lilVEK    AS  I)    ITS   SOUKCK. 

"b(»iin(l;iry  in  thf    iiorlliwt'st  (tr)rner  (if   ttn'  United   Statt's"  Pfsid   as 
folldws : 

"Art.  \'.  Wh<!n'as,  it  is  uncertain  wlictlicr  ilic  river  Mississippi 
extends  so  far  to  the  nortliwani  as  to  l)e  intersected  by  a  line  drawn 
due  west  from  the  Lal<e  of  the  Woods,  in  the  manner  mentioned  in 
the  treaty  of  peace  ]»etween  Iiis  majesty  and  tlie  United  Stat>!S,  it  is 
agreed,  that  instead  of  the  said  line,  the  boundary  of  tlit;  United 
States  in  this  quarter  shall,  and  is  htsreby  declared  to  be,  the  shortest 
line  which  can  be  drawn  lietween  the  northwest  point  r)f  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods,  and  tiie  source  of  the  river  Mississippi:  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  ascertaininjf  and  deterniiriin<r  the  northwest  point  of  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods,  and  the  souice  of  the  river  Mississippi  that  may  be 
nearest  to  the  said  northwest  point,  as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of  run- 
inj;  and  marking?  the  said  boundary  line;  l)etween  the  same,  three 
commissioners,  upon  the  (ii-niand  of  i-ither  government,  shall  l)e  ap- 
pointed," eU;. 

The  c(»mmittee  of  the  Senate  to  wh(»m  it  was  nsferred,  staterl  that 
they  were  satisfied  that  the  said  treaty  was  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Kinjjr 
three  weeks  before  tht*  signature  of  the  treaty  with  the  P'rench  Re- 
public of  the  .'{Otli  of  April.  "But,  not  having  the  means  of  ascertain- 
ing the  precise  northern  limits  of  Louisiana,  as  ceded  to  the  United 
States,th(M'omnuttee  cangivt;  no  opinion  wht'ther  the  line  to  be  drawn 
by  virtue  of  the  third  [tifth]  article  of  tht;  said  treaty  with  Gnsat 
I'.ritain,  would  interfere  with  the  said  northern  limits  of  Louisiana 
or  not." 

President  Adams,  writing  to  Secretary  Madison,  on  December  16th, 
180;{,  in  reference;  to  the  feeling  of  the  Senate,  said  that  they  feared 
that  the  said  boundary  line  might,  l)y  a  possible  future  constructifin, 
be  pretended  to  operate  as  a  limitation  to  the  claims  of  territory  ac- 
(juired  by  the  United  States  in  the  former  of  the  two  instruments, 
that  concerning  the  purchase  of  Louisiana. 

After  due  consideration  the  Senate  on  February  9th,  1804,  consented 
to  the  ratitlcation  of  thf!  convention,  with  the  exception  of  the  fifth 
article.  On  the  ]4th,  Secretary  Madison  wrott;  to  minist<!r  Monroe,  de- 
siring him  to  urge  the  British  government  to  accede  to  the  change 
made;  and  in  the  sam     letter  told  him  the  reasons  why  the  fifth  ar- 


APPENDIX.  321 

ticU'  was  rt'jecU'd—rL'asons  lori'shiidowcd  hop'  in  the  rcpdri  of  tlu'  coiii- 
inittee  and  ill  the  letter  ()f  the  president  already  cited.  lie  also  said 
that  he  thou^^ht  that  the  British  ^,'overnnient  would  make  no  dirtlculty 
in  concurring,'  with  tlie  action  of  tht;  Senate  for  various  reasons. 
First.  It  would  ]»'  unreasonable  that  any  advantajje  a(,'ainst  the 
I'nited  St at<'S  should  he  constructtively  authorized  by  the  posteriority 
of  the  dates  in  (iuestion,etc.  StH'ond:  That  if  Ihearticle  were  expunged 
the  northern  boundary  of  Louisiana  would  remain  tlie  >ame  in  the 
hands  of  the  I'nited  States  as  it  was  in  the  hands  of  France,  t(»  l>e  ad- 
justed and  estal)lished  accordintj  to  the  principles  and  authority  which 
would  in  that  case  have  been  applicable.  "Thirdly.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  the;  iKtundary  between  Louisiana  and  tht;  British  territo- 
ries north  of  it  were  actually  llxed  by  commissioners  appointed  under 
the  treaty  of  L'trecht,  and  thatth(!l)ouudary  was  to  run  from  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods  westvardly  in  latitude  49*^:  in  wliich  case  the  llftli  article 
would  be  nuK'Utory,  as  the  line  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the 
nearest  source  of  the  Mississippi,  would  run  tliroUKh  territory  whicli 
on  l)oth  sides  of  the  line  would  belong  to  the  I'nited  States.''  *  *  * 
'•Fourthly.  Fiayin^' aside,  however,  all  objections  to  the  tlfth  article, 
the  proper  extension  of  a  dividing  line  in  that  (luarter  will  b»;  ('(luaily 
open  for  friendly  ne(^(»tiation  after,  as,  without  agre-'ing  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  convention,  and  considering  Uw  remoteness  of  the  time  at 
which  such  a  line  will  become  actually  necessary,  the  postponement 
of  it  is  of  little  or  no  conse(iuen(;e.  Th<!  truth  is,  that  the  British  gov- 
ernment seemed  at  one  time  to  favor  this  delay,  and  the  instructions 
as  given  by  the  Uniled  States  readily  -icciuit'sced  in  it."" 

The  above  letterof  Mr.  Madison  seems  to  be  the  tirst  otlicial  utterance 
on  the  part  of  the  American  government  that  the  parallel  of  latitude  49" 
should  be  claimed  by  the  United  States  as  the  northern  boundary  of 
Louisiana  and  .southern  boundary  of  the  English  pos.sessions  west  of 
the  Lake  of  tlie  Woods.  IJut  in  what  was  written  about  the  action  of 
the  commissioners  under  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  of  1713,  th(>  cabinet 
erred;  and  the  Englisti  ministry  seem  to  have  been  no  wi.st;r.  'I'he 
line  of  49*  was  merely  the  latest  and  most  southern  of  various  lines 
proposed  from  time  to  time  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  their 
-21 


322  THE  MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

southern  limits  during  the  period  of  the  French  occupancy  of  Canada, 
and  had  no  reference  whatever  to  the  boundary  of  Louisiana,  nor  restor- 
ed the  territorial  rights  of  the  British  crown  in  the  northwest.  The  com- 
missioners under  the  said  treaty  met  in  Paris  in  1719,  but  never  came  to 
any  agreement  on  the  subject,  though  in  after  years  it  was  popularly 
supposed  that  they  had,  and  so  recorded  in  many  books  and  maps. 

The  American  senators  seem  to  have  been  justifiably  suspicious  in 
this  matter.  Were  a  direct  line  adopted  between  the  two  waters  there 
would  be  danger,  whenever  negotiations  should  be  instituted  for  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  boundary  line  westward,  that  it  might  occur  to  the 
British  government  to  claim  the  heights  of  land  just  beyond  the  Miss- 
issippi as  the  southern  limit  of  their  possessions  in  tliat  region.  The 
cabinet  also  showed  great  shrewdness  in  now  next  bringing  into  dip- 
lomacy this  old  provisional  Hudson's  Bay  Company  line  of  49",  as  if  it 
had  really  been  an  international  boundary;  though,  more  lilcely,  it 
might  have  been  only  an  honest  ignorance  on  their  part,  but  one  that 
resulted  fortunately  for  their  people. 

Although  the  settlement  of  the  northwestern  boundary  by  the  Con- 
vention of  1803  had  failed  for  the  time,  the  matter  was  not  neglected 
by  Mr.  Monroe  in  London.  There  were  other  burning  questions,  too, 
such  as  impressments  of  American  seamen,  fishery  privile^^es  &c.  to  at- 
tend to.  In  reference  to  these  latter,  on  April  7, 1804,  Monroe  presented 
to  Lord  Hawkesbury  the  project  of  a  convention  with  a  view  to  their 
settlement,  but  a  change  ol  ministry  occurred  not  long  after,  and  the 
latter  statesman  was  replaced  by  Lord  Harrowby. 

As  soon  as  circumstances  would  allow  him,  Mr.  Monroe  drew  the 
new  minister's  attention  to  the  unratified  treaty  of  1803,  and  bviefly 
discussed  with  him  the  reason  of  its  failure.  But  Lord  Harrowby 
would  not  act  upon  the  subject  for  the  time  being.  On  Sept.  1  Mr. 
Monroe  again  had  an  interview  with  his  lordship  in  which  the  boun- 
dary question  was  further  discussed.  In  a  few  days,  that  there  might 
be  no  misunderstanding  as  to  what  thej'  had  talked  about,Monroe  drew 
up  a  paper  which  succintly  stated  the  history  of  boundary  relations  in 
the  northwestern  region  from  the  time  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  The 
paper  was  of  date  Sept.  5,  and  was  that  day  delivered  to  Lord  Harrowby. 


APPENDIX.  323 

In  it  the  writer  maintained  tlie  position  first  advanced  l)y  Mr.  Mad- 
ison, tiiat  the  commissioners  under  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  had  fixed  the 
line  between  the  British  possessions  and  Louisiana  as  being  on  the 
49th  parallel  of  north  latitude.  lie  also  wrote,  that  after  it  was  found 
out  that  the  Mississippi  river  did  not  head  as  far  to  the  north  as  had 
been  supposed,  Great  Britain  showetl  a  desire  to  have  the  boundary  of 
the  UniU.'d  States  modified  so  as  to  strike  the  river;  but  that  neither 
party  contemplated  this  as  doing  more  than  to  simply  define  the 
American  boundary:  nor  as  conveying  to  (Ireat  Britain  any  right  to 
the  territory  lying  westward  of  that  line  which  belonged  to  Spain. 

There  is,  apparently,  nothing  to  show  that  Lord  Harro\vl)y  I'ver 
gave  any  opinion  on  the  matter  after  the  receipt  of  this  paper.  Nor, 
indeed,  from  that  time  till  P'ebruary  2'),  1800,  do  the  printed  docu- 
ments of  the  United  States  have  anything  to  say  about  the  north- 
western boundary  in  general,  or  the  lapsed  convention  of  1803  in  par- 
ticular. On  the  said  date  Mr.  Monroe  wrote  to  the  English  minister, 
Mr.  Fox,  in  reference  to  certain  unsettled  topics,  amcjng  others  the 
boundary,  and  spoke  of  the  convention  between  Lord  Ilawkes'  iry  and 
Mr.  King.  On  May  15  Secretary  Madison  wrote  to  Monroe  teinug  him 
about  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Pinkney  as  joint  commissioner  with  him 
to  negotiate  a  treaty.  "As  the  joint  commission  does  not  include  the 
subject  of  the  convention  of  limits  not  yet  acceded  to  by  Great  Brit- 
ain, as  varit  y  the  Senate  here,  it  will  remain  with  you  alone,  or 
your  successor,  to  continue  the  endeavors  to  bring  that  business  to 
a  conclusion."  If  any  repugnance  should  be  shown  to  the  erasure  pro- 
posed by  the  Senate,  thereby  leaving  unsettledfor  the  present  the  boun- 
daries in  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  Union,  and  preference  should  be 
given  to  a  proviso  against  any  constructive  effect  of  the  Louisiana 
convention  or  the  intention  of  the  parties  at  the  signature  of  the  de- 
pending convention, 'he  might  concur  in  the  alteration  with  a  view 
to  bring  the  subject  in  that  form  before  the  ratifying  authority  of  the 
United  States. 

But  as  nothing  further  appears  printed,  showing  any  action  of  the 
British  government  on  the  matter,  it  may  be  concluded  that  the  con- 
vention of  1803  came  to  be  considered  as  laid  on  the  shelf  forever. 


324  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVEIl   AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

'i  6.    The  ahandoned  treaty  of  1807. 

In  May,   1806,  the  Amorican  government  appointed   Monroe  and 
Pinkney  special  commissioners,  to  meet  like  appointees  of  the  British 
government  in  London,  and  take  measures  towards  the  framing  f)f  a 
treaty  :  rendered  very  necessary  now  by  reason  of  the  many  unsettled 
questions  between  the  two  governments.    Their  instructions  however 
did  not  include  the  unsettled  boundary  question,  which,  with  some 
other  matters,  was  to  be  postponed  for  the  time  being.    Lords  Holland 
and  Auckland  acted  for  the  British  government  in  the  negotiations. 
The  treaty  agreed  upon  by  the  plenipotentiaries  was  signed  on  Decem- 
ber 31st,  and  bore  the  title  of  "Treaty  of  amity,  commerce  and  naviga- 
tion."'   For  lack  of  an  article  relating  to  impressments  the  President 
did  not  send  it  to  the  Senate,  and  so  it  perished.    But  the  conclusion 
of  this  treaty  left  the  American  envoys  free  to  turn  their  attention  to 
a  supplementary  one,  in  which  one  of  the  subjects  to  be  handled  would 
be  that  of  boundaries. 

In  their  joint  letter  to  Mr.  Madison,  of  April  25,  1807,  the  American 
commissioners  infcirmed  him  how  that,  in  compliance  with  the  pro- 
posal of  the  British  commissioners,  considerable  progress  had  been 
made  in  digesting  the  plan  of  a  supplemental  convention  relative  to 
boundary  and  other  matters,  when  their  business  was  brought  to  a 
stop  )y  reason  of  an  entire  change  of  the  ministry.  They  wrote: 
"After  many  intermissions  and  much  discussion,  the  British  commis- 
sioners at  length  presented  to  us  their  project,  of  which  a  copy  is  now 
transmitted,  differing  in  many  essential  particulars  from  that  which 
had  been  originally  offered  on  our  part.'' 

A  certain  prolixity  may  now  be  pardoned,  in  treating  the  matter 
here,  seeing  that  the  conclusions  arrived  at  by  the  respective  sides  to 
this  discussion  were  not  all  in  vain,  but  served  as  a  basis  of  negotia- 
tions in  future  years.  The  project  referred  to  as  brought  forward  by 
the  British  commissioners  was  headed  "Additional  explanatory  arti- 
cles to  be  added  to  the  treaty  signed  December  31st,  1806."  Of  these 
articles  the  fifth  one  treated  of  the  unsettled  northwestern  boundary, 
and  read  thus: 

"Art.  5.  It  is  agreed  that  a  line  drawn  due  west  from  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods,  along  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude  shall  be 


APPENDIX.  325 

the  line  of  demarcation  [division  line]  hotwecn  his  majesty's  territories 
and  those  of  the  United  States  to  the  westward  of  said  lake,  as  far  as 
the  territories  of  the  United  States  extend  in  that  (luarttr;  and  that 
the  said  line  shall,  to  that  extent,  [111  form  tlie  southern  houndary  of 
his  majesty's  said  territories  and  the  northern  boundary  of  the  said 
territories  of  the  United  States;  provided  that  nothing  in  the  present 
article  shall  be  construed  to  extend  to  the  northwest  coast  of  America, 
or  to  the  territories  b('int?intJ  to,  or  claimed  by,  either  party,  on  the 
continent  of  America,  to  the  westward  of  the  Stony  Mountains." 

The  joint  letter  already  quoted,  now  goes  into  a  discussion  of  the 
above  article,  thus:  "To  the  fifth  article,  regulating  our  boundary  in 
the  northwest,  which  has  encountered  much  jealous  opposition  here, 
even  in  the  form  suggested  by  the  British  commissioners,  from  the 
prejudices,  supposed  interests,  and  mistalcen  views  of  many  persons, 
an  explanation  of  some  of  which  will  be  found  in  an  idle  paper  written 
by  Lord  Selicirk,  (of  which  a  copy  is  enclosed,  i)  we  ilnally  objected, 
that  the  division  line  between  our  respective  territories  in  that  quarter 
ought  to  be  drawn  from  the  most  northwestern  part  of  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods  due  north  or  south  until  it  shall  intersect  the  parallel  of 
forty-nine  degrees,  and  from  the  point  of  such  intersection  due  west 
along  and  with  that  parallel.  This  was  agreed  to  by  the  British  com- 
missioners." 

The  terms  defining  the  extension  of  the  west  line,  viz:  "As  far  as  the 
territories  of  the  United  States  extend  in  that  quarter,"  were  also  ob- 
jected to  by  the  American  commissioners.  They  considered  that  the 
provision  would  perhaps  do  no  more  than  estai  lish  "the  commence- 
ment of  the  line,  and  might,  of  course,  leave  it  open  to  Great  Britain 
to  found  a  claim  hereafter  to  any  part  of  the  tract  of  country  to  the 
westward  of  that  commencement,  upon  the  motions  of  occupancy  or 
conquest,  which  you  will  find  stated  by  Lord  Selkirk  in  the  paper 
above  mentioned,  or  upon  some  future  purchase  from  Spain,  as  inti- 
mated by  others."  So  they  suggested  the  omitting  the  words  in  ques- 
tion altogether,  as  being  unnecessary  in  the  light  of  the  concluding 
proviso.  This  was  not  agreed  to,  but  it  was  said  there  would  be  no  ob- 
jection to  give  to  this  part  of  the  description  a  character  of  recipro- 
city, so  as  to  make  it  read  "as  far  as  their  said  respective  territories 
extend  in  that  quarter." 

1.    Not  printed  in  the  American  State  Papers  however. 


n2fi  THE    MISSISSIPPI    KIVER    AND    ITS   ROURCK. 

Then  coining  to  thf  tiili  iirticic— that  pcrtaininjr  to  the  navigation 
of  tho  Mississippi— the  conimissionors,  in  the  sanif  coniniunication, 
further  wrote:  That  the  project  of  the  liritish  (•(tnnnissioners  contenj- 
plated  what  had  not  been  in  their  plan,  a  permanent  c(»ncession  of 
access  through  American  territories  in  the  northwestern  <iuart<T  to  the 
river  Mississijjpi,  as  secured  to  them  ]>y  tlie  treaties  of  lTs;{  anfl  ITiti, 
and  the  lil<e  access  to  the  rivers  falling  into  the  Mississippi  from  the 
westward,  and  a  ri^'ht  to  the  navigation  of  the  said  river.  Ikit  this 
amounted  simply  to  a  ri(,'ht  of  passaj^e,  and  was  claimed  not  only  as  an 
equivalent  for  sucli  permanent  adjustment  of  boundary  as  was  here 
thought,  or  atTected  to  be  tliouj:ht,  highly  advantageotis  to  the  I'nited 
States  and  injurious  to  Great  lirilain,  but  (as  n'^arded  access  to  the 
Mississippi)  upon  tiie  idea,  among  otliers,  that  the  treaty  of  peace, 
which  secured  to  Great  Britain  free  navigation  of  that  river,  appeared 
to  have  looked  to  it,  in  cummon  with  that  of  1763,  as  overreaching  "our 
northern  limit,"'  and  conse<iuently  as  being  accessible  to  the  Hritish  in 
the  territory  of  Hudson  Bay.  It  was  proViable,  they  thought,  that  this 
demand,  so  far  as  respected  the  waters  falling  into  the  Mi>sissippi, 
from  the  westward,  would  not  be  persisted  in,  if  no  other  dilliculty 
should  present  itself. 

After  the  action  above  detailed  the  fifth  article  ran  thus: 

"Article  5.    As  proposed  by  the  American  commissioners. 

It  is  agreed  that  a  line  drawn  due  north  or  south  (as  the  case  may 
require)  from  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
until  it  shall  intersect  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and 
from  the  point  of  such  intersection  due  west,  along  and  with  the  said 
parallel,  shall  be  the  dividing  line  [||]  to  the  westward  of  the  said  lake: 
and  that  the  said  line,  to  and  along  and  with  the  said  parallel,  shall" 
—the  remainder  is  the  same  as  that  which  the  British  form  gives,  from 
its  sixty-ninth  word,  indicated  thus  [1|J  for  present  reference. 

Tlie  "proposed  American  changes"  having  been  submitted  to  the 
British  commissioners,  the  article  now  appeared  in  the  following 
shape: 

"Akticle  5.    As  the  British  commissioners  would  agree  to  make  it. 

It  is  agreed  that  a  line,"  &c.,  (being  the  same  as  the  American  ver- 
sion down  to  word  "line"  indicated  above  their  [H],  after  which  it  read) 


APPfciNDIX.  827 

"between  his  majesty's  territories  and  those  of  the  United  States  to 
the  westward  of  the  said  hike,  as  far  as  their  said  respective  territo- 
ries extend  in  that  (luarter;  and  that  the  said  line  shall,  to  that  ex- 
tent" iScc.  The  reniaindiT  nctw  follows  the  iJritlsh  and  American  v<'r- 
sions  from  the  si^fii  |1J1  here  used  to  tlie  end. 

Secretary  Madison,  writl^^f  to  tiie  commissioners  Monroe  and  IMnk- 
ney,  under  date  of  July  .'W,  1H07,  explained  the  terms  In  which  the  Pres- 
ident authorized  them  to  close  and  sijjn  the  Instrunn'nt.  As  to  the 
rnodlflcatlon  of  the  llfth  article,  (which  the  British  commissioners 
would  have  agreed  to,)  It  might  Itf  admitted  in  case  tht-ir  own  were 
not  o])tainal)h'.  It  was  his  wish  that  t  he  proviso  to  both  drafts  sliould 
be  omitted,  as  unnecessary  and  liable  to  give  ofTt-nse  to  Spai.i. 

Nothing  further  can  be  added  on  the  subject  of  these  negotiations 
of  1807;  for,  by  reason  of  the  change  of  ministry  in  England,  as  before 
noted,  all  further  discussion  was  suspended,  and  never  afterwards  re- 
sumed by  the  same  plenipotentiaries.  Thus  it  was  that  they  were  not 
able  to  sign  the  convention  so  nearly  complettKl,  and  tht;  (luestidu  of 
the  northwestern  boundary  was  not  discussed  again  in  diplomacy  for 
several  years. 

'i  7.    "The  Treaty  of  (riiENT"  ok  1814, 

The  war  of  1812,  which  occurred  In  a  few  years,  did  not  galvanize  the 
suspended  animation  of  the  boundary  question  into  life  or  movement; 
for  no  lighting  between  tlie  English  and  Americans  took  place  any 
higher  up  the  Mississippi  than  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  Wisconsin 
river,  beyond  which  the  former  practically  controlled  the  country. 

But  within  a  year  of  the  commencement  of  this  war,  the  Russian 
government  used  its  influence  to  bring  about  a  peace.  On  April  15, 
1813,  therefore,  Mr.  Monroe  sent  instructions  to  the  American  plenipo- 
tentiaries at  St.  Petersburg,  on  the  course  they  should  pursue.  Writ- 
ing to  them  again  on  June  2.'},  he  said  that  if  a  restitution  of  territory 
should  be  agreed  upon,  provision  should  be  made  for  settling  the  bound- 
ary line  between  the  two  powers  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  on  account  of  the  valuable  is- 
lands in  the  river  and  lakes  claimed  by  both  parties,  and  suggested  the 
appointing  of  commissioners  to  adjust  the  matter.  But  he  was  silent 
as  to  the  line  beyond  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.    On  March  22d,  1814,  he 


828  THE   MISSISSIJ'PI    KIVEH   AND   ITS   .SOURCE. 

wrote  to  the  Amorican  plenipotentiarios  that  they  tniist  not  in  any 
way  otuintt'iianiv  a  jircti-nsion  to  territory  soutli  of  the  northern  l)oun(l- 
ary  of  tlie  United  .States. 

At  the  reiiuest  of  the  British  ministry  tht^city  (if  (Jhent,  in  Flanders, 
was  aeleeted  as  the  phu'o  of  ineetinj;,  and  there,  on  the  Hth  or  Amjust, 
the  joint  commission  met  to  deliberate  upon  a  treaty  of  peace.  On  tho 
part  of  Great  Britan  the  plenipotentiaries  were  Lord  Gambler,  Henry 
Goiilhurn  and  W^illiam  Adan.s;  on  the  part  of  the  Tnited  .States,  .John 
Quincy  Adams,  .Tames  A.  Hayard.  Ili'nry  Clay,  .Jonathan  Russell,  and 
Albert  Gallatin.  Tti  the  matter  of  tiie  lioundary  line  west  of  the  Lalve 
of  the  Woods,  it  v  as  the  British  commissioners  who  seemed  most  anx- 
ious to  discuss  it;  for  tht;  Americans  were  not  instructed  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  Vioundary.  The  I'ornier,  however,  disclaimed  any  idea  of 
acquiring,' increast' of  territory,  in  tlieir  request  for  a  revision  of  the 
boundary  line  between  the  I'nited  States  and  Great  Itritian. 

Writing  to  Mr.  Madison  on  August  l!»th,  l.si4,  the  American  com- 
missi(mers  gave  the  views  of  the  other  side  in  this  matter,  in  the  fol- 
lowing words: 

"2d.  The  l)oundary  line  west  of  Lakt;  Superior,  and  thence  to  the 
Mississippi,  to  be  revised;  and  the  treaty  right  t»f  Great  Tiritian  to  the 
navigation  of  tho  Mississippi  to  be  continued.  Wht>n  asked  whether 
they  did  not  mean  th(>  line  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Missis- 
sippi? the  r.ritish  commissioners  repeated  that  they  meant  the  line 
from  Lake  Superior  to  that  river." 

On  the  24th  of  the  same  mcmth,  the  American  commissioners  wrote 
to  the  British  that  they  perceived  that  Great  Britain  proposed,  "with- 
out purpose  specifically  alleged,  to  draw  the  boundary  line  westward, 
not  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  as  it  now  is,  but  from  Lake  .Superior;"' 
and  they  objected  to  that  intention  as  demanding  a  cession  of  territory. 

To  this,  on  Septemljer  4th,  the  British  commissioners  replied  as  fol- 
lows: 

"As  the  necessity  for  fixing  some  boundary  for  the  northwestern 
frontier  has  been  mutually  acknowledged,  a  proposal  for  a  discussion 
on  that  subject  cannot  be  considered  as  a  demand  for  a  cc^ssion  of  ter- 
ritory, unless  the  United  States  are  prepared  to  assert  that  there  is  no 
limit  to  their  territory  in  that  direction,  and,  that  availing  themselves 


APPKNDIX.  J]29 

of  tht!  ^t'li^jniphical  crmr  u|ioii  which  that  part  of  the  treaty  of  178.'{ 
was  foniit'd,  they  will  acknowlt'djff  no  houtulary  whatever;  then,  un- 
questionably, any  i  roposltion  to  llx  one.  he  it  what  it  may,  must  he 
considered  as  demanding'  a  lar^^e  cession  of  territory  fnun  the  United 
States,''  etc.  Were  the  American  ^'ovc'rnmentitrepared  to  assert  such 
unlimited  rinht?  Or  were  tlie  pliTiipotcntiaries  willing  to  aclxnowl- 
♦'(ij(e  the  boundary  from  tlie  Lalve  of  tlie  Woods  to  tlie  Mississippi 
ajfrecd  to,  liut  not  ratilled,  in  1H().'{?  The  Hritish  plenipotentiaries 
would  be  contented  to  accept  favorably  such  a  proposition,  or  to  dis- 
cuss any  other  line  of  boundary  whicli  miKl>t  lie  sulituitted  for  con- 
sideration. 

The  American  commissioners  do  not  seem  to  have  been  offended  at 
the  bluntness  of  tlieir  P.ritisii  feihtws;  for,  on  Septeml)er  itth,  they 
said,  that  in  regard  to  the  l)oundary  of  the  nctrthwest  frontier,  in  the 
li^'ht  of  the  explanation  now  K'^<'n»  they  would  have  no  objection  to 
discuss  the  sui)ject,  so  soon  as  the  proposition  concerning  an  Indian 
boundary  sliould  l)e  disposed  of. 

On  the  r.»th,  the  British  commissioners  intimated  that  they  were 
very  happy  to  llnd  tliat  no  miiterial  diniculty  would  lie  likely  to  occur 
concerning  this  (luestioii. 

On  October  21st,  the  American  commissioners  stated,  as  they  had 
said  on  August  24th,  that  they  had  no  authority  to  cede  any  point  of 
the  territory  of  the  United  States,  and  would  subscribe  no  stipulation 
to  that  effect.  The  same  day,  the  British  commissioners  wrote  that 
they  were  led  to  expect,  from  the  discussions  already  had,  that  the 
northwestern  boundary  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Mississippi 
(the  intended  arrangement  of  1803)  would  be  admitted  without  objec- 
tion. In  their  reply  of  the  21st  of  October,  the  Americans  made  no 
reference  to  this  boundary  of  1803. 

On  the  31st  the  iSritish  wrote  to  the  American  commissioners  that 
they  were  ready  to  receive  specific  propositions. 

On  November  10th  the  American  commissioners  wrote  to  the  British 
that  they  could  not  agree  to  tix  the  boundary  of  the  United  States  in 
the  northwest  corner  unless  that  of  Louisiana  were  also  provided  for 
in  the  arrangement.  They  now  submitted  their  entire  projet  in  a  spe- 
cific form. 


330  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

The  sixth  article  of  the  draft  provided  for  the  tlxing  and  determin- 
ing by  commissioners  (if  that  part  of  the  boundary  which  extended 
from  Lake  Huron,  to  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods:  and  for  particularizinj?  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  th(;  said 
point.  The  British  commissioners  did  not  alter  the  geographical  part 
of  this  article  at  all,  when  they  returned  the  projet  on  November  26th. 

The  eighth  article  was  the  same  as  the  fifth  one  of  the  still-born 
treaty  of  1807,  in  the  form  agreed  to  by  the  British  plenipotentiaries  of 
that  time.i  But  the  British  plenipotentiaries  of  the  present  negotia- 
tions now  substituted  for  it  the  original  British  article  of  1807,2  to 
which  they  added  a  clause  granting  British  subjects  free  access  to  the 
Mississippi  river,  and  the  enjoyment  of  its  free  navigation. 

At  the  meeting  of  December  1st,  the  American  commissioners  pro- 
posed various  amendments  to  the  British  substitute  for  article  eight. 
One  was  to  insert  after  the  words  "to  the  westward  of  the  said  lake  as 
far  as,"  the  words  their  rcsjjcctine  territories^,  instead  of  the  words  "the 
territories  of  the  United  States;"  which  change  was  agreed  to  by  the 
British  commissioners.    A  second  was,  to  strike  out  the  words  "and  it 
is  further  agreed,"  to  the  end — that  stipulation  about  access  to  the 
Mississippi.    This  was  reserved  by  the  British  for  the  consideration  of 
tneir  government.     A  third  was,  to  secure  both  the  right  to  flsh  and 
the  right  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  respective  parties. 
It  also  suggested  tiiat  British  sul)jocts  "should  have  access  from  such 
place  as  may  be  selected  for  that  purpose  in  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
aforesaid  territories,  west,  and  within  300  miles  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  in  the  aforesaid  territories  of  the  United  States,  to  the  river 
Mississippi,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  navigation  of  that 
river,"  &c.    This  was  left  with  the  British  plenipotentiaries  for  con- 
sideration.   They  also  intimated   their  willingness  to  omit  article 
eight  altogether,  if  the  British  plenipotentiaries  thought  it  best.   The 
British  plenipotentiaries  wanted  to  add  to  the  eightli  article,  after  the 
words  Stony  Mountains,  a  stipulation  agreeing  to  negotiate  the  fish- 
eries question  for  the  Americans,  and  the  navigation  of  the  Mississ- 
ippi for  the  British.    This  was  received  by  the  American  plenipotenti- 
aries for  consideration. 


1  Seo  paRo  ;Cti  KUitra. 

2  Soe  pa^'o  324  mipra. 


APPENDIX.  331 

At  the  meeting  of  December  10th,  the  American  plenipotentiaries 
stated  that  possibly  doubts  might  arise  as  to  the  geographical  accu- 
racy of  tlie  words  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  article — the  present 
liritish  substitute— "a  line  drawn  due  west  from  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  along  the  forty-ninth  parallel."'  It  was  agret-d  that  an  alter- 
ation should  be  made  to  guard  against  such  possible  inaccuracy.  The 
eighth  article  was  further  discussed  on  the  12th  of  the  month. 

The  American  pleniijotentiaries  in  their  note  of  the  14tli,  stated 
that  they  could  not  agree  to  the  stipulations  proposed  as  a  substitute 
for  the  last  paragraph  of  the  eighth  article.  The  first  alteration  in 
their  prujct  respecting  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  was  unexpec- 
ted, seeing  that  the  British  neither  in  lh«'ir  note  of  October  21st,  nor 
in  the  lirst  conference  to  which  it  referred,  mentioned  the  matter. 
To  obviate,  therefore,  any  ditliculty  arising  from  a  presumed  connec- 
tion between  that  subject  and  that  of  the  lioundary  proposed  by  the 
eighth  article,  they  now  expressed  their  willingness  to  omit  the  article 
altogether.  To  meet  the  supposed  wishes  of  the  liritish  government 
they  had  proposed  the  insertion  of  an  article  recognizing  the  right  of 
Great  Britain  to  the  navigation  of  that  river  and  that  of  the  United 
States  to  certain  fisheries,  which  the  British  government  considered 
as  abrogated  by  the  war.  To  such  an  article,  which  they  considered 
merely  declaratory,  they  had  no  oiijection,  but  did  not  want  any  new 
article,  and  offered  to  be  silent  in  regard  to  both.  To  this  stipulation 
or  any  other  abandoning,  or  implying  tlie  aljandonment  of,  any  right 
in  the  fisheries  claimed  by  the  United  States  they  could  not  subscribe. 
But  to  an  engagement  embracing  all  subjects  of  difference  not  yet  ad- 
justed, implying  no  aljandonment  of  right,  tliey  were  ready  to  agree. 

In  their  communication  of  December  22d,  the  British  plenipotenti- 
aries said  that,  as  they  had  stated  in  their  note  of  August  8th,  they 
did  not  wish  to  give  fishing  privileges  without  equivalent,  however: 
"With  a  view  of  removing  what  they  consider  as  the  only  ol)jection 
to  the  immediate  conclusion  of  the  treaty,  the  undersigned  agree  to 
adopt  the  propf)sal  made  by  the  American  plenipotentiaries  at  the 
conference  of  the  first  instant,  and  repeated  in  their  last  note,  of 
omitting  the  eighth  article  altogether." 


332  THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER   AND    ITS    SOURCE. 

lioth  parties  being  tlius  willing'  to  postpone  the  settlement  of  the 
houndary  line  beyond  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  th«;  treaty  was  signed  on 
December  24th;  and  thus  was  established  a  peace  between  England 
and  the  Unite4  States  not  since  brolcen,  though  often  imperilled. 

This  treaty,  it  will  be  seen,  only  advanced  the  boundary  question  ])y 
providing,  in  the  seventh  article,  that  certain  conunissioners,  who 
were  to  fix  the  boundary  from  Lake  Huron  westward,  were  to  "i)ar- 
ticularize  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  most  northwestern  point 
of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  of  such  parts  of  the  said  boundary  as 
they  may  deem  proper.  And  both  parties  agree  to  consider  such  de- 
signation and  decision  as  final  and  conclusive."  It  was  certainly  high 
time  to  fix  this  "point"  seeing  that  none  of  the  statesmen  knew  where 
it  was,  though  they  and  their  pri^lecessors  liad  had  its  name  so  often 
in  their  moutlis  and  at  the  points  of  their  pens. 

The  day  after  the  treaty  was  signed  the  American  plenipotentiaries 
made  a  full  report  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  They  said  that  the  ma- 
jority of  their  body  were  "determined  to  offer  to  admit  an  article  con- 
firming both  rights  [that  of  the  Americans  to  the  fisheries,  and  that 
of  the  English  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi]  or  to  be  silent  in 
the  treaty  upon  both,  and  leave  out  altogether  the  article  defining  the 
boundary  from  the  LaR.e  of  the  Woods  westward." 

In  a  quasi  controversial  paper  written  nearly  eight  years  later,  on 
May  3,  1822,  John  Quincy  Adam;--,  the  first  in  order  of  the  American 
plenipotentiaries  concerned,  reviewed  the  proceedings  of  1814  some- 
what elaborately,  so  far  as  they  referred  to  the  question  of  the  north- 
western frontier.  The  British  government  maintained,  he  said,  that 
the  treaty  of  1783  was  abrogated  by  the  subsequent  war,  and  yet  they 
claimed  the  right  to  navigate  the  Mississippi  under  its  provisions. 
Being  asked  for  an  explanation,  they  replied  that  the  equivalent  they 
offered  for  it  was  their  acceptance  of  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  lati- 
tude for  the  northwestern  boundary,  instead  of  the  line  to  which  they 
were  entitled  by  the  treaty  of  1783  to  the  Mississippi.  They  had  said 
the  same  thing  to  Monroe  and  Pinkney  in  1807,  and  the  principle  had 
been  assented  to  by  them,  with  the  subsequent  sanction  of  ^'resident 
Jefferson.  Still,  all  depended  on  the  continuing  validity  of  the  treaty 
of  1783;  for,  if  abrogated,  the  boundary  as  well  as  the  navigation  of 


APPENDIX.  iiii'il 

the  Mississippi  was  null  and  void.  The  American  commissioners  re- 
plied to  them  that  though  willing  to  agree  to  the  forty-ninth  parallel, 
and  that  they  thought  it  of  mutual  interest  that  the  line  should  be 
fixed,  yet  they  were  not  tenacious.  But  they  could  not  agree  to  their 
articles  of  mutual  surrender,  the  (Ishe  ;es  for  the  right  of  navigation 
of  the  Mississippi,  with  a  pledge  of  future  negotiation.  Hut  they 
would  consent  to  omit  the  boundary  article  itself  and  leave  the  whole 
subject  for  future  adjustment;  to  which  proposition  the  British  com- 
missioners Hnally  agreed.  By  the  convention  of  October  2<tth,  1818, 
which  gave  the  United  States  the  boundary  of  forty-nine  degrees  from 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods  westward,  was  proved  the  total  indllTerence  of 
the  British  government  to  the  right  of  navigating  the  Mississippi,  by 
abandoning  their  last  claim  to  it,  without  asking  an  equivalent  for  its 

remuneration. 

'i  8.    The  Convention  of  1818. 

The  .  ry  next  summer  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent  trou- 
ble arose  concerning  the  seizure  of  American  fishing  vessels,  which 
together  with  complaints  that  American  slaves  had  been  carried  off  in 
British  ships  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  showed  the  necessity  of  a 
speedy  adjustment  of  the  questions  remaining  unsettled  between  the 
two  nations. 

On  September  17th,  1816,  the  Secretary  of  State;,  Mr.  Adams,  made 
overtures  to  the  British  government,  on  behalf  of  the  United  States, 
for  a  supplementary  treaty  of  commerce. 

On  March  19th,  1817,  the  British  government  produced  a  draft  of 
four  articles  towards  the  initiation  of  such  a  treaty. 

On  November  6th,  Mr.  Adams  forwarded  to  Richard  Rush,  the  envoy 
plenipotentiary  at  London,  full  power  to  conclude  a  commercial  treaty. 

On  May  21st,  1818,  he  wrote  again  to  him,  informing  him  that  the 
President  desired  him  to  propose  an  immediate  general  negotiation  of 
a  commercial  treaty,  wiiich  was,  however,  to  embrace  other  subjects  of 
discussion  between  the  two  governments  than  trade  and  commerce. 
Among  these  other  subjects  was  indicated  "the  boundary  line  from 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods." 

In  these  negotiations  Albert  Gallatin  v/as  to  be  associated  with  Mr. 
Rush,  as  joint  plenipotentiary,  and  instructions  were  furnished  him 


334  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   AND   ITS   SOURCE. 

by  Mr.  Adams  on  May  21st.  In  this  It^ttcr  he  was  told  that  the  British 
government  wanted  to  refer  some  of  the  subjects  to  commissioners, 
like  those  authorized  l)y  the  treaty  of  Ghent.  Among  these  other  sub- 
jects Were,  '"the  lioundary  line  from  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Lake 
of  thi!  Woods  westward,  which  you  will  remember  was  all  but  agreed 
upon,  and  went  otf  upon  a  collateral  incident  at  Ghent.  *  *  * 
As  to  the  lint;  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  as  some  dissatisfaction 
has  already  been  excited  here  by  the  expense  occasioned  by  the  two 
commissions  already  employed  in  settling  this  boundary,  another  com- 
mission to  draw  the  line  through  the  depths  of  the  deserts,  and  to  an 
indefinite  exterit,  would  be  still  uiDre  liable  to  censure;  besides  the 
apprehensions  which  it  might  raise,  that  the  issue  of  the  commission 
would  be  to  bring  the  British  territory  again  in  contact  with  the  Mis- 
sisssippi." 

But  on  the  2Sth  of  July  a  more  elaborate  paper  was  addressed  by  the 
Secretary  to  Messrs.  Gallatin  and  Rush,  which  embodied  the  Presi- 
dent's instructions  to  the  two  commissioners.    The  third  heading  was: 

"3.  Boundary  fmm  the  Lake  of  the  irood.s,  westward.''  Under  this 
title  he  gave  a  bi  ief  statement  of  the  geographical  foiceof  the  treaties 
of  1783,  1794,  and  1803.  "The  cession  of  Louisiana  gave  them  a  new 
and  extensive  territory  westward  of  that  river."  He  then  proceeded 
at  length  to  tell  about  the  doings  of  the  plenipotentiaries  and  govern- 
mental views  in  1807  and  1814:  and  how  an  agreement  was  made  in  the 
said  last  year  to  omit  all  reference  to  the  l)oundary  line  beyond  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods.    Then  continuing,  he  wrote: 

'"From  the  earnestness  with  which  the  British  government  now  re- 
turn to  the  object  of  fixing  this  boundary,  there  is  reason  to  believe 
that  they  have  some  other  purpose  connected  with  it,  which  they  do 
not  avow,  but  which  in  their  estimation,  gives  it  an  importance  not 
belonging  to  it,  considered  in  itself.  An  attempt  was  at  first  made  by 
them,  at  the  negotiation  of  Ghent,  to  draw  the  boundary  lint;  from 
Lake  Superior  to  the  Mississippi.  But,  as  they  afterwards  not  only 
abandoned  that  pretension,  but  gave  up  even  the  pretension  to  an 
article  renewing  their  right  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi,  it 
was  to  have  been  expected  that  they  would  thenceforth  have  consid- 
ered their  westward  boundary  of  no  importance  to  them."   He  thought 


APPENDIX.  33o 

that  that  indicated  a  design  of  encroach! n^i  by  new  fstablishmonts 
upon  the  forty-ninth  paralU.'l,  or  that  it  manifested  a  ;ealousy  of  the 
United  States  and  a  desire  to  check  the  progress  of  their  settlements,  i 

Fredericlf  John  Robinson  and  Henry  Goulburn  were  the  commission- 
ers representing  the  Dritish  govcrnmt'nt,  and  the  place  of  meeting  was 
in  the  city  of  London.  As,  however,  all  the  geographi'^al  aspects  of 
the  subject— in  the  light  of  the  scanty  Icnowledge  olitainable— had 
been  fully  discussed  in  the  former  international  negotiations,  there  is 
nothing  to  be  found  in  the  protocols  of  September  17th.  October  6th, 
*^th  and  13th,  recjuiring  notice  here.  On  the  20th  of  October,  1818,  the 
plenipotentiaries  had  come  to  an  agreement,  and  the  convention  was 
signed  by  them  that  day. 

On  the  same  day  Messrs  Gallatin  and  Rush  forwarded  tlieir  copy  of 
the  convention  to  Washington.  In  their  letter  accompanying  it  they 
said  that  the  boundary  was  definitely  fixed  at  the  forty-ninth  degree 
of  north  latitude,  and  that  an  attempt  was  again  made  to  connect  it 
with  an  article  securing  to  the  Uritish  access  to  the  Mississippi  and 
the  riglit  to  its  navigation;  but  they  would  not  consent  to  the  article 
and  the  British  abandoned  it. 

The  part  of  this  document  referring  to  the  northwestern  Iwundary 
is  the  following: 

"Article  2.  It  is  agreed  that  a  line  drawn  from  the  most  north- 
western point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  along  the  forty-ninth  parallel 
of  north  latitude,  or  if  the  said  point  shall  not  be  in  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  of  north  latitude,  then  that  a  line  drawn  from  the  said  point 
due  north  or  south,  as  the  case  may  be,  until  the  said  line  shall  intersect 
the  said  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and  from  the  point  of  such  intersec- 
tion, due  west,  along  and  with  the  said  parallel,  shall  be  the  line  of 
demarcation  between  the  territories  of  the  United  States  and  those  of 
His  Britannic  Majesty,  and  that  the  said  line  shall  form  the  northern 
tx)undary  of  the  said  territories  of  the  United  States,  and  the  south- 
,  ern  boundary  of  the  territories  (»f  Ills  Britannic  Majesty,  from  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Stony  mountains." 

This  second  article  of  the  convention  of  1818,  ended  a  boundary  dis- 
cussion of  thirty  years  standing,  but  as  a  matter  of  theory  and  law 
only;  for  the  practical  settlement  and  final  description  of  the  line  of  de- 
marcation were  yet  a  long  way  off. 

1  See  also  Mr.  Adani&'  resumt',  of  a  later  date,  on  page  332  supra. 


336 


THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVEK   AND   ITS   SOUUCE. 


.Zines  of/Ae  he (jht  of^  lanci . . 
Fal  t  tical  lines  fforr  ob-sole  t^  .."*'. 
ITxiStina  Stale,  h-ounclarte^ 

I I I t £l>i 


DTAORAM  CHART  OF  LIMITARY  I.INES  DRAWN   BY   A.  J.  HILL.  1892. 
note:    in  "n.  u.  co's.  mne  of  17th  centuky,'  kead  18th  CENTtRy. 


APPENDIX.  n;!7 

i !».    The  wouk  of  the  Holtxdaky  Commission  at  the  Lake  ok  the 

Woods,  ix  182:j. 

Peter  B.  Porter  on  the  part  of  the  American  trovernment,  and  Anth. 
lUirclay  for  the  British,  were  appointed  commissioners  under  the  sixth 
and  seventh  articles  of  the  treaty  of  (rhenl.  to  survey  and  mark  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  United  States  from  tin;  point  where  the  lini' 
of  latitude  of  45"  Intersects  the  St.  Lawrence  river  to  the  most  nortli- 
western  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  On  .June  18th,  1822,  they 
made  their  decision  concernlnfj  the  line  which  they  had  estal)lishe(l 
under  the  sixth  article.  This  done  they  proceeded  to  the  consideration 
of  the  boundary  to  be  fixed  under  the  seventh  article,  which  was  to 
commence  at  the  water  communication  between  Lake  Huron  and 
Lake  Superior. 

But  concerning  this  part  of  tht.'ir  duties  they  came  to  no  full  de- 
cision, and  no  report  of  their  doings  is  to  be  found  printed:  at  least, 
not  among  the  public  papers  of  the  United  Stat«'S.  What  is  written 
here,  then,  under  the  heading  of  this  section,  has  been  compiled  from 
works  of  private  origin,  or  from  otllcial  works  not  necessarily  binding 
in  their  views  concerning  this  particular  subject. 

The  commissioners  themselves  did  not  accompany  the  party  destined 
f(tr  the  region  west  of  Lake  Superior;  and,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
the  principal  personages  who  did  go  were  the  following: 

Colonel  Delafleld,  the  American  agent  of  the  coi.,mission:  the  two 
astronomers,  (of  whom  David  Thompson  was  one),  and  their  staff:  and 
Dr.  John  J.  Bigsby,  the  secretary  of  the  commission. 

Up  to  this  time  the  "most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods"  had  been  only  a  name,  first  brought  to  the  notice  of  tht;  world 
by  the  treaties  of  1782  and  1783,  whose  makers,  apparently,  had  no  de- 
tinlte  knowledge  of  the  lake  and  its  surroundings.  It  was  the  princi- 
pal object  of  this  official  surveying  party  therefore  to  now  seek  out 
the  place  so  named,  and  ascertain  its  true  geographical  position.  That 
they  had  before  them  •->.  work  of  much  delicacy  and  ditttculty  may  be 
imagined. 

There  must  have  been  one  condition  also  to  militate  strongly  against 
their  doing  their  work  here  In  any  very  elaborate  manner,  and  that 
was  the  necessity  of  economy.  Those  were  not  millionaire  days,  either 
-S2 


338  THE   MISSISSIPPI    RIVEK    AND    ITS   SOURCE. 

in  ii  privau-  or  ii  puldic  souse,  and  the  lew  thousands  spent  in  fornicr 
years  by  the  coniinissioners  under  the  fourth  and  llfth  articles  of  the 
treaty,  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  l)oundary,  had  been  a  rock  of  offense. 
In  1817,  a  coniniittee  of  the  House  of  Representatives  had  ^iven  it  as 
their  opinion  that  so  complete  a  survey  as  had  been  carried  on  was  not 
necessary.  They  maintained  that  the  running  of  the  line  through  the 
middle  of  the  lal\es  and  rivers  was  not  intended  to  be  performed  liter- 
ally, as  that  would  be  to  cut  islands  into  two  parts  at  times,  and  to 
cross  and  recross  the  center  of  the  current  instead  of  following  it.  To 
ascertain  where  the  current  ran,  they  said,  required  no  surveying,  un- 
less at  some  special  points.  In  April  of  1818,  another  House  commit- 
tee reported  on  the  complete  trigonometrical  survey  hitherto  employed, 
and  recommended  that  some  mode  of  designating  the  boundary  line 
under  the  sixth  and  seventh  articles  of  the  treaty  should  be  arranged 
between  the  British  government  and  the  President  of  the  United 
States  requiring  less  time  and  expense.  Two  or  three  days  later,  a  se- 
lect committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  expenses  already  in- 
curred by  the  boundary  commission. 

Now,  however  correct  these  economical  views  were  as  regarded  the 
boundary  in  general  they  were  not  suited  to  the  business  of  ascertain- 
ing the  terminal  point  of  it.  This  was  not,  in  the  light  of  the  li'tle 
geographical  knowledge  of  the  lake  then  possessed  by  those  most  .'n- 
terested,  some  particular  spot  so  prominent  and  well  known  that  it 
could  be  readily  found,  but  it  was  one  that  had  to  be  sought  out,  as 
they  supposed,  from  among  competing  points.  To  do  this  satisfactor- 
ily would  require  a  thorough  survey  of  the  entire  western  half  of  the 
whole  lake  with  all  its  bays  and  inlets.i 

It  may  be  imagined  then  that  these  gentlemen  were  limited  as  to 
time  and  means,  and  would  not  therefore  be  able  to  make  their  exam- 
ination exhaustive.  What  they  did  do  at  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  was 
to  sail  along  the  shores,  establishing  a  few  points  astronomically  and 


1  One  is  apt  to  wonder  how  it  came  that  the  views  of  the  two  American  statesmen 
yet  living,  of  the  plfnipotcntiai'ies  of  1782,  were  not  asked  for.  as  to  their  under- 
standing of  the  oft  repeated  "point."  It  is  true  that  they  were  now  quite  old, 
Adams  heing  84,  and  Jay  81  years,  but  they  still  retained  their  intellectual  vigor- 
Adams  indeed  yet  ext  rci'^ed  a  public  influence  through  his  pen.  Perhaps  such  ap- 
plication was  made.  bV'    if  so  no  mention  of  it  is  readily  found. 


APPENDIX.  389 

tilling  in  the  topo^'raphy  between  by  method^  nt'  reconnoisance.      This 
^'ave  them  the  material  for  constructing'  a  map  of  the  lake. 

Dr.  Bigsby,  writing  many  years  later  concerning  this  expedition,  de- 
scribes their  following  along  the  western  shore  from  the  south  to  the 
north.  On  .Tuly  18th  they  camped  near  the  mouth  of  Kiver  la  Platte, 
which  came  from  a  very  large  and  shallow  lake  of  the  same  name. 
Arriving  at  Rat  Portage,  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  they  took  observa- 
tions for  its  position,  and  found  it  to  be  in  latitude  49'^  4<!'  21"  and 
longitude  94°  39'.  His  words  now  are:  '•  We  left  it  on  the  22d  of  July, 
and  made  an  earnest  but  vain  attempt,  on  the  west  of  the  portage,  to 
tlnd  out  any  well  marked  spot  entitled  to  be  called,  in  thf  language  of 
the  treaty,  '  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.' 
An  idea  then  prevailed  that  the  locality  lay  hereabouts;  but  the  de- 
cision of  1842  has  properly  placed  it  many  miles  to  the  S  S.  W.  of  Rat 
Portage.''  i  The  doctor  elsewhere  wrote  that  the  place  which  they 
considered  to  be  the  said  "point"  was  "'at  the  bottom  of  a  narrow, 
marshy  cul-de-sac,  eight  miles  and  a  half  deep,  situated  at  the  north- 
ern part  of  "  a  bay  debouching  on  the  lake. 

?  10.    Cautogiiapiiv  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods;   what  the 
Commissioners  of  1782  3  understood  to  be  its 

MOST    NoUTn\VESTERN    POINT. 

The  Lake  of  the  Woods— the  southern  part  of  which  is  crossed  by 
the  line  of  latitude  49° — comprehends  a  series  of  four  distinct  sheets 
of  water  but  so  connected  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  they  form  a  verita- 
ble labyrinth,  by  reason  of  their  innumerable  islands,  peninsulas,  and 
bays.  Only  its  most  northern  subdivision  was  known  to  the  Indians 
by  the  name  now  applied  to  its  southern  part,  which  term  came  after 
awhile  to  be  applied  by  the  French  and  English  traders  to  the  four 
lakes  together.  It  is  one  of  the  larger  of  the  innumerable  lakes,  that, 
connected  by  interlocking  streams,  go  to  form  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  basin  of  the  Nelson  river  of  Hudson's  Bav. 


1  It  so  lijippoiied  that  the  United  States  exploring  expedition  to  the  Red  River  of 
tlio  Nortli,  ooninianded  by  Major  S.  H.  Long,  passed  tlirougli  lliis  lake  a  couple  of 
weeks  after  the  surveyors  of  the  boundary  conxmission  had  been  there.  The 
yarrativeot  the  expedition  says:  "Rat  Portage  has  bucome  a  poiatof  some  im- 
portance, as  it  appears  probable  that  the  northwesterninost  point  of  the  boundary 
line  of  the  United  States  will  be  at  or  near  Its  extremity." 


5340 


THK   MISSISSIPIM    UIVER   AND   ITS   SOrUCK 


orrUKE    MAI-  OK  THK    LAKE   OF  Tl^.-^OOD..      UKOrCKD   KUOM  CAXAP.AN 


API'KNUIX,  341 

The  tliin'  that  it  was  tlrst  visited  hy  whiti-  nion  is  iitit  kiKiwn. 
tlioii^'h  the  Canadian  (tfflcials  wt-n.'  awan- (if  its  <'xist('iicf  as  rarly  as 
1711;  and  in  IT.'M  the  llrst  piist  htiilt  there  was  frccted  by  coniniand  nf 
tlie  elder  Verendrye.  When,  later,  tlie  cnimtry  to  the  westward  of 
Lake  Superitir  came  to  hi-  majipi'd  and  enis'ravinis's  of  it  published  this 
lake  naturally  found  a  eoiupanion  plaet-  on  the  charts:  hut,  as  may  In- 
supposed,  with  a  shap<!  that  bore  little,  if  any,  resemblance  to  the  out- 
line that  modern  maps  hav«'  furnished  us. 

Yet  it  was  from  these  early  maps  alone  tliat  the  public  men  nf  the 
last  <iuarter  of  the  eij,'hteenth  century  could  derive  their  idea>  of  its 
fontour.  oosltion,  and  hydrojiraphical  relationships,  i 

On  maps  published  prior  to  the  date  of  the  innocently  mischievous 
Mitchell  map  this  lake  presented  by  no  means  any  very  complicated 
appearance.     F(»ur  of  such  mai)s  are  now  cited,  in  this  connection. 

The  earliest,  or  presumed  earlii'st,  delineation  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  to  be  found  on  any  engraved  map,  is  to  be  seen  on  the  one  illus- 
trating Dobbs' ylcco«)j<  0/ f/ic  Counfnc^unyouu'/*;/  ti>  Utnlson's  lid;/,  pub- 
lished in  1744.  Mere  it  appears  as  of  simple  ol)long  form,  lying  east 
and  west,  and  having  nine  islands  in  it.  Two  streams  are  seen  at  the 
west  enil  of  the  lake,  the  northern  one  being  its  outlet  and  (lowing 
into  Winnipeg  Lake.  The  want  of  recognizable  reseml)lances  on  this 
map,  in  the  case  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  wctuld  seem  to  show  that 
the  information  might  have  been  obtained  from  some  Indian  sketch. 

F'our  years  later  than  the  above  work,  was  published  Henry  Ellis" 
VnywjeU)  Hnihon'x  7i«.'/,  which  contained  a  general  map  too.  This, 
though  not  ])recisely  like  the  Dobbs  niap,  mu:-h  resembles  it,  and  dis- 
plays till'  same  general  hydrography,  the  waters  running  westward  and 
other  features;  l)ut  there  is  more  tlnish  and  detail  to  it.  Tim  lake  in 
"luestion  also  lies  east  and  west,  and  has  six  islands  in  it ;  but  though 
its  shores  are  more  indented,  its  repres«'iitati(m  bears  no  greater  resem- 
blance to  the  truth  than  the  (lelini'atioti  of  it  on  the  former  ma[». 

1  Tiavcrs  Twi^s.  in  tiis  r/ic  0((  (/on  Qiirstinn  Knimhinl.  Lotidon,  lS4t>.  ;it  1  he  iihicr 
wliuie  he  speaks  of  t  he  iiil  fodiirt  ion  nf  mapsof  iiiisurvcycd  (list  rii/ts  into  dcfiiiilL' 
di'^cilptiKli,  well  s;iys: 

•■Tlie  pictorial  fcatiu'es  of  a  c-oiiiitry  whicli.  iu  such  cases,  liave  l)een  freciueiitly 
assumed  as  tlio  tjasisof  tlie  iie^jotiation.  liave  not  unusually  caused  greater  oni- 
l):irrassnient  to  Inth  the  parties  in  tlie  sub>e(|aent  attempt  to  reconcile  them  with 
the  nal  111  al  feat  n  res,  than  the  orivrlnal  iiuestion  in  dispute,  to  which  they  were 
supposed  to  have  fiiinished  a  solution  " 


'M'2  THE    MISSISSIIMM    UIVKIt    AND    ITS    SorUCE. 

On  the  map  of  D"  Anville,  btiarinj;  date  1748.  the  lak«' shows  a  rouiidi-r 
fl^ur*',  l)Ut  ont'  whose  saliont  points  arc  reroj^nizahlu  as  those  now 
known,  the  peninsula  juttin^r  into  the  hike  f-.irn  the  rijjht,  the  outlet 
at  the  farther  t.'nd,  and  the  inlet,  and  also  th"  hay  withalllnent  streams 
to  the  left  of  the  latter.  It  errs  however  In  its  orientation;  lor  the 
inlet  and  outlet  are  placed  due  east  and  west  of  eadi  other,  as  in  the 
Enj^lish  maps,  instead  of  south  and  north  respectively. 

T.  -lefferys'  chart  of  the  Atlantic  ocean,  1T.">3,  extends  far  enoujfh  to 
the  west  to  take  in  the  lake.  It  shows  it  as  of  an  elongated  form,  its 
longest  diameter  also  east  and  west:  with  two  streams  entering  at  the 
west  end,  and  witli  nine  islands,  like  the  Dolihs  map,  but  without  any 
stream  belni^  sh"wn  dt  all  elsewhere,  thou^rh  two  bays  appear  at  th«! 
east  end.  The  absence  of  the  eastern  stream  was  probably  a  draughts- 
man's or  eni^ineer's  error. 

French  maps  of  the  datt^  I'.V)  can  hardly  be  said  to  b(^  earlier  than 
Mitchell's.  They  Ki^'«N  however,  like  the  D'  Anville  map,  some  true 
idea  of  the  lake:  thou(jrh  the  entire  outlines  need  turninj,'  around  simi- 
larly, from  forty-five  to  ninety  degrees,  in  order  to  make  them  corre- 
spond reasonably  with  the  points  of  the  compass. 

The  Oentlemau\s  Magnzim  of  July,  1755,  contains  a  map  of  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  English  and  French  in  "North  America,  which  looks 
very  much  like  a  reduced  copy  of  Mitchell's  map,  but  any  name  of 
maker  or  compiler  is  carefully  omitted  from  it  and  from  the  explana- 
tory text  accompanying  it.  On  this  map  the  waters  of  the  boundary 
chain  of  lakes  not  only  flow  to  the  eastward,  but  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  shows  no  stream  at  ail  entering  into  it  at  the  west  end,  or  else- 
where, thus  unmistakably  proving  the  map-makers  belief  to  be  that 
this  lake  was  the  head  of  the  hydrographical  system  he  had  drawn. 

There  need  be  no  description  given  here  of  the  shape  of  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods  as  represented  by  Mitchell:  for  it  can  speak  for  itself  in  tlie 
copy  now  given. i 

Of  course  between  1755  and  1782  there  were  other  delineations  of  the 
lake  on  published  maps,  but  naturally  Mr.  Mitchell  could  not  have 


1  The  diagonal  line  drawn  on  this  little  niup  at  the  west  end  of  the  lalie,  and  sim- 
ilar lines  marked  on  tlie  modern  Canadian  map  of  tlie  same,  appfarlnjr  on  pajre  340, 
lorni  no  part  of  the  orifrinal  maps.  Tiiey  are  merely  interpolated  to  illustrate 
tlie  ''euttini;"  theory  described  in  the  next  seotion. 


AIM'KNDIX. 


34:5 


PAKT  OF  THE  MITCnELL   MAP  (»F   1T55. 


344  THE    MISSISSIIM'l    KIVKK    AXD    ITS    SOI'UCE. 

used  th«'><' — thouKli  tlif  coiimiissioiici^  of  the  lalttT  diitc  iiiiKhl  havf 
paid  tliciii  iiiort-  atlfntion  which  dtlinfationsaiJiJroxiiiiatcd  rriore  and 
lunn-  to  the  truo  topography;  hut  tlicy  do  not  rt'(iuin;  any  I'urther  rcf- 
(•rctii'c  licrt'. 

Wliat  thf  |ili'nif)MtcMliaiirs  a>sunii'd— no!  I<ni-\v  to  l)t'  the  rnr).st 
nortiiw»'stt;ni  point  of  thf  iakf  rtMiuircs  no  lrnt,'thy  dissertation  to 
estahlish.  They  had  oidy  <pne  map  hy  wiiieh  tht-y  were  ultimately 
Kwided,  and  on  that  tln-y  marked  the  wlioh'  boundary — the  northwtjst- 
ern  e([ually  with  all  the  rest.' 

On  this  map  they  saw  a  nam»'d  iaki',  whi'-h  they  understood  to  he 
the  head  ot  the  largest  St  I'am  runtiing  ini.>  Lake  Superior,  anci  to  it 
and  through  it  they  then  I'on-  ran  thi-  line  of  demarcation.  The  oh- 
vi(jus  intention  was  to  run  to  its  farthest  point  or  head,  and  as  the 
map  showed  that  to  lie  to  thi-  northwest  they  naturally  used  that  term 
in  th<'ir  description:  having  n'>  misgivings,  pn,'sumably,  as  to  tht;  accu- 
racy of  tlie  (Irawitig.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  they  had  much,  if 
any,  discussion  ai>out  this-,  and  that  th(!y  studied  brevity  of  description 
is  shown  l>y  ilu-ironly  naming  the  two  cxtri'iucs  of  the  chain  of  lakes 
s«jl(!Cted  for  till'  boundary. 

i!   II.       'I'lir:    OlIICIAI,    DKSUiNA  rioN    <>v    IIIK    most    noutiiwksteun 

i'OINI'   OK   TltK   LAKK  OI      IIIK   WooUs,    ANI>   ITS  KSTAU- 

I.ISIiMKN'l'    I!^     TIIK    TUKATY    <>!•     \^42. 

Although  the  dcsignati'd  lioundary  line  ha<l  l)een  <\xar.iined  l)y  the 
party  sent  to  tht;  Lake  of  th(!  Woods  as  stated,  and  its  Ifjcation  indi- 
cated on  che'ir  maps  from  the  outlet  of  Itainy  lake  to  th<'  head  of  the 

1  The  re  i«  iid  iu  uidiii;;  the  I'oiicluslnn  t  li;il  every  I  liitiL'  liin:res  on  the  del  Inesit  inns 
nf  I  liis  iiiap.  Aihiins  iind  I'raiiklin.  :i>  already  qiiuled.  test  ificd  to  their  ii-.(,'  of  tlii- 
iniiji,  ;iiid  HO  did  .(ay.  Mr.  Adams,  some  twelve  year^  after  his  firsl  letter  on  tin* 
•-iihject.  wrote  in  st  ill  si  ronj-'er  terms,  viz.: 

•'.Miti'hell's  ina|i  was  llie  r)nly  one  wliii'h  The  Minister-  I'lenipotent  iary  of  Tlie 
I'niled  Stales  and  the  Ministers  I'leiiipotentiary  <>f<;reat  liritaln  in:ide  use  of  in 
1  heir  Conference-  and  Discussions  relative  to  The  Hoiindaries  of  The  United  i^tate- 
in  their  Ne^ot  iat  Itms  of  tlie  Peace  of  ITKdmd  of  tlie  I'rovisloiuil  Articles  of  lhe:ifi|li 
•  if  Novemher,  ITk:,'.  I'poii  that  Map,  and  tliat  only,  were  the  Honndaries  deline- 
ated," 

In  addition.  It  msiy  be  stated  that  this  tnai)  w;is  formally  recounlzed  a>  past  au- 
t  linrity  hy  tlu'  trejity  of  ls^'7.  in  t  lie  followiriLr  word-:  ■AnriehK  I  v.  Tlie  map  c;illed 
Mitchell's  map.  by  which  the  framers  of  the  treaty  of  17s:i  are  ackuowiedgt'd  lu 
have  te'.'ulated  I  lie  I  r  joint  and  fillicjai  proceeding's."  \c. 


AIM'KNDIX.  ;i45 

liiiy  rfilt-rrcd  to  in  tin-  loriinT  liikt-:  yi't  it  afipfiir-i  that  the  twn  i-nu\- 
iiiissioners  ('((iiid  not,af,'n'f  tipun  the  toriuiiial  itoitil,  of  the  line. 

"The  matter,  not  bcitiK  of  iniinrfliati'  and  incssiri^'  iniixirtaiicc,"  I)r. 
I'ti^sby  writes,  "was  suifercd  to  ninaiii  in  siisnensc  It  was  thou^rht 
advisattie  by  tli<;  British  tf'vcrnincnt,  about  1x41,  that  Dr.  Tiarks 
should  tuakc  a  [)orsonal  ins])cction  of  tlie  Lake  of  iIk;  Woods,  which 
h<'  accordingly  did." 

.So  astronomer  Tiarks  decided  tlie  ca>e  against  Kat  l'orta^;e,  and  tlii.; 
is  thn  jx'culiarly  practical  method  he  employed  to  come  to  his  conclu- 
sion. If  a  ]in(^  whose  Ix-arinji  is  exactly  N.  E.  and  S  W.  be  passi'd 
westwardly  over  the  surface  of  the  lake,  on  i)aper.  tliat  i)ointon  the 
main  shore  which  is  last  cut  l)y  it  will  be  the  most  tiorlhwestem  point 
nvpiired. 

With  all  due  respect  to  the  le.irned  astronomer  wiio  invented  ibis 
plan,  and  to  the  eminent  statesmen  who  accepted  it— now  probal)ly 
all  dead  and  gone — a  common-senst!  man  cannot  well  liav(!  much  re- 
spect for  it,  unless  it  were  understood  to  have  bei-n  used  by  way  of 
compromise,  and  for  that  occasion  only,  where  a  [)oint  hafi  already 
been  su|)pos<'dly  chosen  by  the  nu  '  od.  Wt;n'  the  rule  actually  meant 
as  one  of  t^eneral  ai)p!ication  it;W  uld  be  ;i  stranye  piece  of  empiricism. 
Suppose,  for  example,  that  nature  had  made'  the  bay  at  the  southw(»t 
end  of  the  lake  in  ([uestion  to  extend  29  niori'  miles  to  the  westward, 
and  .'{  more  miles  to  the  sout  liward.  than  it  does,  and  to  terminate  in  a 
sharp  point  as  at  the  bay  that  waschosen:  tbm  tlie  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  line 
woulfl  last  leave  the  lake  at  the  su[)posed  point,  as  would  also  one 
bearing  N.  W.  and  S  E.  It  would  result  then,  that  at  tlie  place  of  the 
intersection  of  these  two  lines,  on  ;,he  wati-r's  edye,  we  would  have 
both  tb<!  most  nortliwestern  point  of  the  lake  and  its  most,  soulli- 
western.     And   not  only  tliat,  l«ut  would    liave  found  a  unrtli ■\\i"-\rrn 

point  that  would  i)e  more  sonllni-n  than  an\-  other  [)la( n  the  lakt; 

shoresl 

But,  turning  awa.\  from  allK''ometrical  {)aradoxes,  if  an  examination 
be  made  of  the  simple  outline  of  the  lake  as  drawn  by  Mr.  Mitche'U,  it 
will  be  reaflily  seen  that  a  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  lim-  would  cut  its  shore  ex- 
actly at  wliat  appears  to  !»(•  the  inlet,  but  reall.\  i^  the  outlet,  in  Mther 
words,  at  Hat  Portat^e. 


'.'AC)  TMK    MISSISSII'IM     KIV'Kli    AM)    l'''S    SOL'liCH. 

Ai;i  riiJiltiT  <»r  Kro|)i;ii))iic;il  iiil,<Ti'Sl,  alorn-,  Laving  ik*  <)lh<!r  sJKnifl- 
fanci-  now,  il  tn;i.y  Ix;  said  thai  by  a  slrict  applic^ation  of  th<!  arbitrary 
liiH-  and  <-n\,  m\i:  jusL  ••xplairn-^l,  lln'  most;  riijrt.hw<rsl,('rri  iy)itiLof  Lin- 
l.al<i'  of  lln*  Woods  would  iiol  Ix-  loiind  wlif-n-  l)r.  'I'iarks  pla(M;d  it. 
I'or  this  fact  tlnMiomtiiissioinTs  of  ]H-S.l  art;  not  to  Ixr  l»larn<!d:  tin;  hasty 
survey  of  th»;  lal«;  was  drxihtlcss  thf  most  that  tiioir  means  jxirmitU^d. 
.Still,  had  tint  thoroii„'h  survi-y  oiijcclt-d  to  iri  thr  ';ast  been  allow(!d 
luTt',,  It  would  havi!  slmwn  that,  thf  point,  tiny  wen;  looking  for  acconl- 
to  thidr  K<!«)Mii"tri<ai  iindi-rst^andinK  of  the  wording  of  the  treaty,  was 
one  sitiiat<'(|  sixti-i-n  or  sev(;nt<'<-ri  miji-s  farthi-r  t,o  tin;  northward  than 
till!  one  Ihey  did  scjifct;  \n-Aini  a  [loirit  on  tin-  west,»;rti  shore  .if  the  Lac 
I'lat  they  passed  l)y  un visited. 

That  s(jc,h  assertion  as  to  the  availaljiiity  of  tliis  lake  is  not  unwar- 
ranted may  l»e  Hecn  hy  what  two  i)ractic,al  rm-n  wrot<.'  ahcMJt  it,  many 
years  afl/erward.  Th--  llr^t  one  was  Alexander  Weils,  assistant  sur- 
veyor ciri  the  Canadian  exploring' <xpe(|it  ion  of  I  Mr,><,  whose  words  are 
as  follows: 

"Lar-  I'lat  is  more  a  liay  of  the  Lak<r  of  iIp'  Woods  than  a  separate 
lake,  its  discharge  Ijein^  through  a  lotiy  deej)  hay,  vvhii-h  in  some  jjjaces 
has  the  appearatK^i;  of  a  broad  river.  ♦         »         *  The  Indians 

ai>o  Wild  that  at  liiuh  wat'-r  the  cinreoi  would  be  for  some  days  from 
the  Lake  of  tiie  Woo(Js  into  Lae  Plat." 

(Japtain  W.  J.  'I'winin^;,  the  chief  astronomer  of  the  .Xin.tric-an  party 
"if  the  boundary  survey  of  IS72,  when  also  speaking  of  the  lake,  wrote 
thus  of  it  in  his  report:  "It  is,  however,  a  little  ilitllcult  U)  under- 
stand the  proct.'.s  of  reasonitiK  by  whieh  those  (•(immissioners,  whih; 
indudini,' the  Cli'ar  Water  and  the  Lake  of  the  .Sand  Mills  under  the 
Keneral  title,  yet  rejeeird  the  Lae  I'lat." 

With  a  view  to  t  be  adjustment  of  the,  unsettled  (ju<!StlonH  between 
Great  Itritain  and  the  I'nitetl  States,  of  which  the  most  iuifxirtant 
was  the  boundary  line  in  the  --ast,  Sir  Iloberl  Peel,  the  Kn^flish  pre- 
mier, sent  Lord  Ashtiurtori  to  the  United  StateH  to  enter  into  negotia- 
tions with  Mr.  Webster  the  American  Secretary  <»f  State.  Now  these 
two  t^entlerni-n  wtire  as  mu'b  jileased  with  each  othcsr  as  were  Oswal<l 
aiid  Franklin  before  them,  so  there  was  no  clashing,  and  alTairs  were 
amicably  arranged  in  due  course  of  such  friendly  dijilomacy. 


Ai'i'i;.\M)ix.  ;;47 

With  ri'tfiird  to  thi-  Urn-  ;it  Ihf,  L;il\f  of  thi-  Woods,  tln-y  ailopl.fd  Inr 
its  t<!rmin;ition  tin;  pfjint  vvhirli  li;id  Ix-itit  sclfM-b-ii  iirid<;r  tin-  'I'iiirks 
plan  an  aln;a(l.y  dt'scril»<!(l. 

Tlu!  tn-Jity  was  siKsi'-d  on  AuKtist  iMli,  1H42.  'I'liat  part  of  it  whidi 
is  ol'  iriiportiirir"' Ikti- was  contairnd  in  tli<;  second  artifjc,  towanl  th<- 
<-ii(l,  th<^  wording  hitirij^  as  tf^ijow-^: 

"ThroiiKJi  thi-  si'V<;rai  sinaliiT  kcs,  strait.s,  or  sin-a.'is  ronrn-r'tnii,' 
tht;  lak»-  ht-n-  iiifritiorit-d,  |  Nann-cari],  to  that  poitit  in  Lac  la  I'liiii',  or 
riainy  Lake,  at  the  Cliatidi''rc  Falls,  from  which  llu-  cotntnissioners 
traced  the  line  tr)  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the 
WofKls:  theni;e  alon>f  the  said  line,  to  the  said  most  northwestern  pf)lnt, 
hvAiiii  In  latitude  4!»^  Si'  '>'>"  north,  and  in  lon>,'itnilf '.if,'  ll';}''"  west 
from  tht!  Ohservatory  at  <Jn!enwich:  thenci',  accordiriK  to  existing 
tn;aties,,  due  south  to  its  intersection  with  the  forty-ninth  paralh;!  ol 
north  latitude,  and  alorn^  that  parallel  to  the  Kocky  Mountains." 

i!   12.      CONCMDINO    UkM,\KK<. 

This  KJinpl*!  statement  of  a  somewhat  complex  subj<,'ct  now  nearH  Its 
end,  there  only  rmainiuK  to  he  j^iven  a  shrirt  statement  of  tlie  last  ac- 
ti  of  the  twr)  ^,'overnmi'nts  in  reference  t(j  the  houndary  line  at  the 
LaKe  of  the  Woods. 

It  will  he  remembered  that  the  surveys  of  \H2'.i  terminated  at  a  se- 
lected point  on  the  lake,  whence  the  remaimler  of  the  houndary  was 
1')  folkjw  two  designated  straight  iin<!s  -one  a  short  one  due  south  to 
the'  forty-ninth  [)arallel,  tlic  other  tlie  parallel  itself  from  the  Intersec- 
tion of  the  short  linr  to  the  Stony  Mountains.  No  prfivislo-i  was  made 
in  the  treaty  of  (ihe-nt  for  s.irveyiii)^'  them;  for  their  markinj^  on  the 
(ground  was  not  needed  at  that  time. 

How  lon^.  however,  tliese  lines  would  have  remained  unsurvciyed  it 
is  hard  to  j^uess:  the  ordinary  otllcial  mind,  beinj?  .somewhat  literal  and 
p<trfunctory,  does  not  rearlily  look  beneath  the  surface  of  records,  or 
interest  itself  in  matters  that  ha[)pened  before  its  time,  and  thus  may 
be  ignorant  of  important  luatters  well  known  to  "outsiders."  It  hap- 
pened that  in  the  year  18(0,  it  was  Incidentally  discovered  that  the 
boundary  line  at  I'embina,  as  hitherto  accepted  there,  was  about  4,700 
feet  south  of  the  true  p<isition,  whi(;h  of  course  was  in  latitude  49". 


348  THE    MISSISSII'I'I    lilVHR    AMi     ITS    SOURCE. 

Tht' fact  was  brought  tt)  the  attt'ntioii  of  President  Grant,  who,  in 
his  message  to  Con^jress  of  Doceiubcr  utli,  ISTO,  rccouinicnded  that  a 
proper  survey  should  be  made  of  what  remained  unmarked  of  the  in- 
ternational boundary.  In  compliance  with  his  recommendation  an 
act  was  passtid,  approved  March  l!>th,  1><T2,  which  provided  for  the  sur- 
vey and  marking  by  engineer  olHcers  of  the  i)oundiiry  between  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods  and  thi'  Rocky  Mountains;  the  work  to  be  done  un- 
der the  direction  of  a  joint  (;ommissi(rn  appointed  by  the  two  govern- 
ments concernc^d. 

The  Held  work  of  this  survey  was  performed  during  the  years  1872-3- 
4,  and  the  commissioners  signed  the  maps  and  i)rotocol  on  May  2!tth, 
1876.1 

A  few  further  observations  concerning  the  nominal  '"point"  o  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods,  in  the  light  of  the  information  suppli'd  by  the 
modern  survey  of  1872  may  be  added  now.  It  was  very  essential  that 
the  astrcmomers  of  this  second  expedition  sliiiuid  tind  the  original 
point,  and  they  did:  for  after  a  long  search  tlifv  succeeded  in  discover- 
ing, below  the  water,  the  remains  of  the  woodtm  monument  erected  by 
their  predt>cessors,  as  a  datum  from  which  the  point  at  the  head  of  the 
marsh  could  be  traced  at  any  future  time.  From  this  reference  poi?it, 
by  running  the  old  recorded  courses,  they  were  easily  able  to  tlx  upon 
the  very  spot  i n  the  water— not  on  the  land— where  the  agreed  upon 
most  northwestern  jjo'nt  was  to  be  found.     Then'  is  however  a  certain 

1  Alttioutrti  tlie  foUo  Willi:  puiiivri'aplis  iifci  tiit  iicly  tu  ilir  line  castof  the  inlet  of 
till' Lake  of  tlu' Wixuls.  :iii(l  i-oiiscciueiit  ly  do  not  coiiie  witliiii  tlu' propel' Sfope  of 
this  paper,  yet,  as  tliey  treat  of  a  very  iinpoi  taut  matter  u  liicli  no  one  of  lato  ye;irs 
seems  t<)  liave  l)rou:;lit  to  pulilie  atteiilion.  1  venture  their  int  rochiet  ion  in  tlie 
stiape  of  tills  note. 

Listen  first  to  what  I>r.  Hisrsby  saiil  in  is.")0.  "Noiie  oi  tlie  islands  on  the  old  route 
and  ill  this  ;ri('at  lake,  eiiihraein'  i  line  4:i()  miles  loiitr.  are  as  yet  appropriateii  to 
the  I'liited  Stales  or  (ireat  It  lit. ,,....  Som»'  of  tlieiii  niust  very  speetlily  ht'eome  val- 
uable niiiiiii'.r  property,  as  on  Giinllint  lal;t>.  Iron  lake."  &(■. 

What  he  said  tlieii  is  still  in  foive.  Tliere  is  no  boundary  line  aetiially  est.il)- 
lislied  between  the  inoul  h  of  l'i;ceon  river  and  the  ('liaudiiip_fa^llsjiear  the  head  of 
K.-iiny  lake;  for  tlie  mere  reeapit illation  in  tlie  treaty  of  1^4:2,  o?  tlie  names  of  t  lie 
various  minor  lakes  through  w'liiel)  the  line  siioiikl  inn  I-,  no  praetleal  boundary, 
seeinj;  th.-it  iteannot  aeeount  for  Iho  ownersliip  of  the  innumerable  islands.  The 
survej'or  jJtcneral  of  publii-  lands  on  this  side  of  the  line  may  instniet  his  deputies 
to  survey  only  Inlands  on  the  Minnesota  side  of  the  ehannel.  and  the  ofHeials  in 
eliiii'geof  the  Dominion  land  surveys  siniilary  insliuil  their  people  wofkiir.^  from  tin; 
Ontario  side,  but  that  may  not  al  wayssuffiee.  Suppose  a  ease  where  t  In  I'e  are  t  wo 
channels,  one  broad,  shallow,  and  slut,'}5isli,  the  other  nari'ow.  but  deep;  who  shall 


APPENDIX.  349 

anomaly  connected  with  the  matter  of  this  extreme  end  of  the  bound- 
ary well  worth  mentioning'.  The  modern  map  shows  the  lioundary 
line  windinjr  alon^^  the  channel  of  thf  bay  of  tlie  Northwest  Angle  * 
until  it  intersects  the  surv>  yed  north  and  south  boundary  at  a  point 
about  4,250  feet  south  of  the  commencement  of  the  latter,  across  which 
boundary  the  dotted  line  representing  the  water  meanders  l)acl<  and 
forth  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  it  crosses  it  for  the  last  time  and  f(ir 
the  rest  of  the  distance  of  nearly  half  a  mile  its  waving  course  is  en- 
tirely to  the  westward  till  it  strikes  the  initial  "'most  northwestern 
point"  where  the  boundary  survey  begins.  Thf  general  lil<eness  of 
direction  comes  from  the  generally  north  and  south  bearing  of  the 
narrow  water  course  or  slough.  This  marshy  strip  continues  for  half 
a  mile  farther,  in  a  direction  a  little  east  of  north,  till  it  V»egins  to 
divide  into  little  branch  swamps,  whose  final  course  is  hidden  by  the 
margin  of  the  map. 

Judging  then  Viy  the  map  of  to-day,  it  would  appear  that  the  com- 
missioners of  1823  selected  a  point  where  no  point  was,  but  the  expla- 
nation of  this  action  is  simply  that  in  that  year  what  is  now  water 
was  then  land,  though  marshy;  for  in  1872  the  water  was  several  feet 
higher— the  Indians  said  eight— than  when  the  first  survey  was  made. 
But  irrespective  of  these  hydrographical  considerations,  remains  the 
l>eculiarity  of  an  international  boundary  line  which  for  over  three 

decide  to  wliicli  count  ly  ilu'  ishnul  or  islands  lyinir  hot  ween  the  two  i-lmuld  Iwlonv't' 
It  nia.v  be  lenienilit  red  tlial  not  so  very  many  yeais  have  elajised  since  lliere  was 
tiouble  on  tlie  Pacific  coast  concern  infl  llieSaiiJuau  islands,  wliii-h  li.id  i)ractical)le 
eliannels  on  eacli  side  of  tlieni.  In  1l<at  case  tliei-e  was  no  (j nest  ion  of  frreat  wealUi 
<-oncerried  in  the  dispute,  it  was  the  (i\iestion  of  soveieij-'iity  otily.  And  yet,  sucli 
was  the  warmth  of  feelinfi.  tliat  but  for  tliu  remoteness  and  i.iaceessil)ility  of  tlie 
locality,  the  Americans  and  En^'lisli  would  luive  eonie  to  unotflcial  blows  overit. 
Suppose  further,  that  befweei,  any  such  chaminels  on  our  noi'thcrn  boundary 
tliere  shi-uld  l)e  round  an  i-^land  rich  in  ori's,  another  Silver  islet  for  instance, 
would  there  not  be  from  loth  countries  a  'ush  foi'  it  and  for  the  neijihlxninj;  shoivsV 
How  loti;.'  then  would  it  'le  l)cforc  there  ciime  :■  coullict  of  jiirisdici  idu'/  And  when 
too  there  is  considerec'  tlu>  excitability  of  the  American  tempeianient,  and  tin- 
proved  custom  of  the  people  to  take  up  arms  on  tlK-  si)ur  of  the  moment,  as  shown 
by  very  recent  events,  blood  mi^Mit  be  slied  before  vhe  !.'overnnients  of  the  two 
countries  dreamed  of  danser. 

As  Mr.  Gore,  the  charge,  d'  affnirrs.  wrote  in  !sO:j,  the  ad.justnient  of  the  matter 
should  not  be  neglected  until  "pyivate  iraln  and  individual  possession  >hall  init  i- 
minjrle  themselves  in  the  (luestion.'' 

But  this  humble  stat(>ment  will  i)robal)ly  meet  witli  litt  le  attention,  and  1h- but 
the  voice  of  Cassandra. 


350  THE   MISSISSrPlM    HIVEK    AXI)    ITS    SOUKCE. 

quarters  of  ;i  niili'  hounds  nothing,  by  reason  of  its  being  to  that  ex- 
tent entin.'ly  within  the  territory  of  one  of  th.e  nations  concerned. 
Can  anyone  thinl<  that  such  nicetit's  of  location  wt^re  contemplated  by 
the  treaty  inal<t;rs  t)f  1782-3  V  i 

The  geographical  position  of  this  time  honored  point  in  the  swamp, 
was  accurately  ascertained  i)y  the  commission  of  1872.  It  was  in  lati- 
tude 49°  2:V  50".28  and  longitude  95"  Os'  o«".7.  These  tlgures  then 
supersede  those  embalmed  in  the  "Ashburton  Treaty,"  which  were  de- 
rived from  observations  made  in  a  time  of  less  perfection  of  instru- 
ments, and  of  scantier  astronomical  facilities  generally,  than  the  pre- 
sent affords. 


It  is  somewhat  strange  that  the  peculiarity  of  conllguration  of  the 
international  Vjoundary  line  at  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  should  have  re- 
(luired  years  for  its  complete  recognition  on  our  American  maps,  in 
view  of  the  plain  wording  of  the  treaty  <A  1842.  At  times  before  this 
final  settlement,  the  line  to  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  lake 
appeared  on  some  printed  maps,  but  during  a  couple  of  decades  or  so 
succeeding  this  treaty  it  seems  to  have  been  pretty  generally  forgotten, 
and  was  not  to  be  found  on  current  maps  of  the  United  States.  The 
absence,  at  that  time,  of  any  resident  population  in  Minnesota,  or  the 
British  possessions,  near  enough  to  the  lake  to  make  the  position  of 
the  boundary  line  there  a  matter  of  importance  or  interest,  served  also 
to  keep  the  subject  in  the  background. 


1  Still  this  is  merely  a  nntter  of  surplus;if;e.  and  can  iiifriniro  on  no  one's  risbts; 
for  a  matliematieal  line  lias  no  breadth,  and  if  sti'aisrlit  ran  inclnde  notliing.  By 
making  the  most  northwewttru  point  on  Lac  Plat  tlicte  would  liave  beeuuosucli 
auon  aiotis  line,  and  more  tlian  as  iniicii  again  of  land  would  have  accrued  to  the 
United  States  tlian  l)y  tlic  present  boandary .  But  had  tlio  said  point  been  placed 
at  Rat  Portage  by  the  conuuissioners  of  lfi:i:{  -wLicli  I  verily  believe  to  be  the  place 
contemplated  by  tlie  treaties  of  17.S2-3— there  would  have  l)eea  formed  the  most  curi- 
ous politico-geoinetrical  situation  that  can  be  imagined,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
there  was  no  Mississippi  river  lying  exactly  west,  and  of  the  next  fact  that  Instead 
of  abandoning  the  policy  of  a  point  on  the  lake  tlie  convention  of  1818  required  It  to 
be  connected  by  a  due  nortli  or  south  Hue  with  the  4i>th  parallel.  By  the  carrylnir 
of  the  boundary  to  Rat  Portage,  under  these  circumstances,  the  Americans  would 
have  gained  a  geographivNil  victory,  but  It  would  have  been  very  emliarrassing. 

Let  the  reader  inspect  tiie  modern  map  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  and  work  out 
the  problem  as  to  what  the  Americans  would  then  own— if  he  can. 


Al'PENDIX.  351 

In  the  winttT  of  1S60-1,  the  prt'stMit  uriti-r  was  toniiwjrarily  cinpldycd 
as  the  clerk  in  thfi  office  of  thf  SuptTintciiflent  of  Public  Instruction 
for  the  State  of  Minnesota,  and  while  there  had  occasion  to  inspect  a 
proof  sheet  of  a  small  map  of  the  State,  which  ha(]  Ix-en  sent  to  the 
office  with  a  request  that  any  errors  in  it  should  be  corrected.  As  its 
publishers,  (Monteitli  and  McNally,  of  Ni'W  York,)  had  not  made  use 
of  the  information  desiralile  from  tlie  tfovernment  land  surveys,  which 
at  that  time  had  already  projjressed  over  more  than  one-half  of  the 
area  of  the  State,  the  nuip  was  entirely  obsolete,  and  the  firm  was  so 
informed.  Up  to  this  time  eastern  map-makers  had  .scarcely  learned 
that  it  was  their  place  to  abandon  tlie  topography  of  the  Nicollet  map 
of  1842,  as  fast  as  it  was  superseded  by  the  actual  .surv<.'ys  of  the  K''"- 
i-ral  land  olfice.  At  the  recjuest  of  the  pul)lishers  named  an  entirely 
new  map  was  compiled  in  the  office  mentioned,  for  tlie  school  geogra- 
phy it  was  intended  to  be  a  jjart  of.  This  afforded  an  opportunl+v  for 
indicating  the  northwestern  boundary  of  Minnesota  correctly,  in  con- 
nection with  the  named  lakes  of  the  treaty  referred  to  that  defined  it 
in  detail. 

It  is  to  Nicollet's  map,  however,  that  should  probably  be  laid  most 
of  the  blame  for  the  omission,  on  maps  in  general,  of  the  boundary 
line  through  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  north  of  the  forty-ninth  parallrh 
for  this  map,  which  was  about  the  only  authority  for  the  geography  of 
the  upper  basin  of  the  Mississippi— the  region  personally  visited  by  the 
I'xplorer — was  not  extended  far  enough  north  to  show  the  lake,  though 
all  the  rest  of  the  boundary  lakes  appear  on  it,  liaving  been  copied 
from  the  old  maps  of  the  boundary  commissioners  of  1823. 

Little  by  little  the  eastern  publishers  correjted  their  maps  ir  tiiis 
matter  of  the  txmndary  line  at  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  but  it  took 
many  more  years  for  the  departments  of  the  United  States  government 
to  get  their  eyes  opened  in  the  same  way,  at  least  that  was  the  case 
with  the  General  Land  Office.  This  office  pul)lished  every  year  a  series 
of  maps,  showing  the  state  of  the  surveys  ordered  by  it,  but  as  regarded 
the  Minnesota  map,  that  continued  for  years  to  represent  the  line  as 
running  direct  from  the  Lainy  Lake  river,  to  the  west  shore  of  the 
lake  to  the  forty-ninth  parallel.  Not  until  the  year  1867,  and  then 
only  because  the  Rev,  E.  D.  Neill— the  Superintt  tident  of  Pui)lic  In- 


•'■HK    MISSISSf.M.r    KiVKK    ..NT)    ]TS   SOUUCK. 


stnictiori  n-fcrrtMl  to (••ili..ri  ti,    ..»♦ 

™mv,.  r,..o<«„lti„„  „„  „„.  a„„„al  ,„n„s  „f  „„„,,.,  „f  ,  „    ^,^^^ 


FOliT  SHELtAHQ, 


IXDICX. 


Acad,  of  Science,  France l.'Ki 

Accaiilt,     (or    Akoj,   conipauloti  vt 

Heiiuepin ~*.  "<>,  28t') 

Adams,  C.  C.  editor  N.  V.  Sun. .. 201-,  24S 
Adams,     John,     American     states- 
man   ;i08. :»!»,  liU,  ai;j.  338. 344 

Adams,  J.  Q.,  American  statesman 

3.'(>.  332. ;««,  XU 
Adams.Wm., British  plenipotentiary  3'.'8 

Adirtmdacks.the 2it2 

Agassi/.,  Louis,  (naturalist),  liike..      0 

Alton,  G.  B.,  Minneapolis 24s 

Ako  laUe 255,  2.56,  2!tt 

Alabama,  ment'd 25,30 

Alatjama  river,  men'd 20 

Alexander  VI,  Pope 38 

Aiftonquins.  the 45,  46.  49.  58 

AlU'jihany  Mts 1,57.  2;f5,  310 

Allen,  James,  Lieut.   U.   S.  A.,  140.  151. 

153,  206,  278,  288 

A  lie  n  lake 275.  288 

.  Allouez.  Claude,  a  pioneer  of  New 

'     France .58,64 

Altitudes,  see  "elevations" 

American  Fur  Co 124 

Amuricau     Geographical     Society. 

12,  206.  248 
Amiehel.  Spanish  name  for  Florida.    18 

Aminoya.  an  Indian  town 27 

Andrus  creek 288 

Anne,  Queen  of  Eng 142 

Apalache.  an  Indian  town 21 

x\.rafi;o,  Francois,  French  savant 156 

Arkansas  river 25,  66,  68,  83.  101,  157 

Arliansas  Indians 3(),  72 

Ashl>urton. Lord. English  statesman,  340 

Ashburton  Treaty 350 

Assiniboine  river,  the 117 

Assiuiboines,  the 47,  73, 114 

Assawa  lake 1.58 

Astor,  John  .lacob 124 

Atlant  ic  ocean,  the 4S,  200 

Auckland,    Lord,    British    plenipo- 
tentiary   324 

Auguelle,  Anthony,  (or  Picard  du 

Gay) 73,76 

Ante  an  Indian  town 21 

Azores,  the 38 

Baker,  James   H.,  meufd.  171.  198.  224. 

248.  284 


Baltimore,  Md 157 

Barclay, Anthony, Brit. Oom'issioner  337 

Barnes.  J.  M..  photographer 180.248 

Bayard.  Jiunes   A.,  U.  S.   plenipo- 
tentiary    328 

Bear  Point 252,285 


Beaver,  tlie,  ment.   ..  55 

Becker  county,  Minn 22 

Beloit.  Wis 154 

Beltrami,  G.  C,  e.xpl  >rer,  141,  161,  23<i.  289 

Beltrami  county,  Minn iS) 

Betiiidji  lake  ...   Jl 

Berlin. Wis 6i 

Bermuda  Islands 16 

Bergamo.  Italy 135 

Bieama.  de.  Luys  Hernando. ........    ^ 

Bienville,  de  French  officer 86.  90 

Bigsby.  .lulin  J.,  Dr •tt7.  339.  348 

Big  Stone  lake 56,  136 

Bilo.xi,  city  of 86 

Bishop,  Miss,  authoress ]51 

Bison,  the 55 

Black  river 54,  .58,  74 

Blakeley,  Capt.  Russell,  St.    Paul, 

Minn 247 

Bloody  river 13h 

Boliall.  Ileiiry 17,- 

Bonaparte.  Napoleon 1()4, 105 

Boston 116 

Boundary  commission 337 

Boundary     line     bet.     Sioux     and 

Ojibwas ii;i 

Boundary  line  bet.  U.  S.  and  Gr. 
Brit.,  (nortliwestern  boundary), 
101,  305,  306.  307.  :{0!).  311.  312,  318.  326.  335 

Bousiiuai,  fur  trader J24 

Boutwell,      W       T.,     missionary, 

121.  144,  149,  1.58.  161.  284 

Boutwell  creek  225.  251,  25;j.  285,  298 

Bouviu,  fur  trader 124 

Bo  wen, Sir  George.Brltish  statesman  206 

Brainerd,  Minn 126, 171, 192 

Brazil lo 

Breck  lake 188, 192, 194 

Brewer,  Judge  D.  ,T..  U.  S.  court 206 

Brockway,  Minn  126 

Blower.  J.  V.,  author  of  this  book,  1 ; 
his  coiiimission  to  survey  Lake 
Itasca,  1,2;  he  reports  progress.  2; 
his  letter  to  G.!azier,205;  his  sketch 
map,  229;  his  chart  reported  to  the 
historical  society,  231;  appointed 
commissioner  of  Lake  Itasca  State 
park,  237;    other    references.  225.  262 

286.  291,  296 

Brower  Island 278,287 

Brower,  K.  B 346 

Brule  river 77 

Brunei,  Francois,  guide 158 

Brydeu.  Miss  Beulah.  stenographer.  146 

Buchanan,  James,  Prest.  U .  S 134 

Burgos,  Spain 17 

Burlington,  Iowa 74 

Burr,  Aaron 130 


854 


INDEX. 


<;;il)fza  do  Viicii,  Nuih'Z SJ 

CudllUii-.  L:iiiii>the,  u  Fruucli  otticer.    01 

Ciillioim.  .1.  (' i:«i 

»';iliforiiiii.  (j II If  of ti'-' 

(.'jinibnti  ,  a  Frcni'li  town ITS 

» "ariiula tXt,  «l». !»",  IW, '.»!»,  ;«M5.  M'!.  .iJZ 

Canaveral  river 114 

Capalia.  an  Indian  town Sli 

Caron,   le.  ^i.'rc 40 

Cart  ii/-,  Jarciiies,  uarly   Frencli   ex- 
plorer   40.  40 

Carver,  .loimthaa,  explorer,  lia.  li:t    114 

llti,  ■^H.i,  ;il.'> 

Carver's  Cave.  St.  Paul.  Minn IK 

Carver   eoiiniv,   Minn IIT 

t'as<iul.  an  Indian  town -'(l 

CasH,  Lewis,  explorer 14;t,  14.'),  ;iK4 

<.'ass  <-oii Illy.  Minn VH 

Cass  Lake.  Minn.. 17,  I'-T,  132,  i;i4.  I4ii.  143. 

148.  ir):j,  i(ji,  '^41 

(Jasselals.  fur  trader 12;t 

Castle,  .1.  N.,  U.  S.  Consrress..   ..  2(4,  248 

Cat  Creeli 214 

Cliairiiuanilffon  bay.  Lake  Superior,    .'i4 
Clianihers,  .lulius,  explorer,  ItiO,  I'.W,  195. 

201,  2;h 
Cliainl)er's  ereek,  m.  1S2,  16<),  170.  I'.t4,2:.>2. 
2.51.  2.'i;i.  2.")0.  2,>7.  250.  200.  2(U.  2S5,  2<J2 
Clianiplnin,  do,  Samuel,  Frencli  »'x- 

plorer 40,  44,  40 

Cliaiiiplain,   Minn 75 

Cliarleville,  du  M.,  French  officer. ..    00 

diaries  V..  of  Spain 23,32 

Cliaudiire  Falls,  (K.-iiny  lakei     ....  34H 
(Miaves,  de.  Alonso,  Spanish  officer..     28 
Chaves,   de,  Jerome,    Spanish    geo- 
grapher  28.32 

t'heniers,  Antoine,  voj/nyeitr 124 

Cheniers,  Michel,  viiiidyr.ur 124 

Che-no-wa-(re-sic,  Ojlbwa  Indian —  102 

China,  mentioned 4.").  (10 

Chucajiua  river ;14,  82,  8;t 

Chi<-aKo,  111,,  mentioned 154 

Chipijewa  river.  Wis 70 

Clarke.  Hopewell 102.  214,  201 

Clarke's  map 210 

Clarke's  creek 25,h,  2f)0,  280 

(Jlarke's  lake 2i>,5,  287,  205 

Clauses,  Savoy,  France 155 

Clay,  Henry..., 328 

Clearwater  river 0 

Cleveland.  0 101 

Clinton,  De   Witt 143 

Clough.  W.  P 248 

CobI),  W.  R..  Park  Rapids,  Minn.. '208,  248 

Cofitache(iui.  town 28 

Colbert,  French  statesman 00,  02,  91 

Colbert  river,  (the  Mi.ss.) 84 

Coles,  Juan,  Spanish  officer 29 

Collot,  Gen  .quoted 101 

Columbus,  Christopher,  Ills  map —     Ki 

Commission  of  J.  V,  Krower 1 

Conimissi'er  of  the  Minn.  State  park  233 

Comstock,  S.  G.,  Congressman "247 

Congress.    U.  S 234,  :(07.  :«»•.•.  348 

Conirri'S  Internationale  de  Heme 200 

Cook.  W.  W 188 

Cortes,  Hernando 17 

Coteau  des  Prairies 9 

Cott^m, ,  Mr.,  a  fur  trader....  123.  124 

Courville,  Gov.  of  Canada .58 


Coza,  town  of 20,    30 

Craig's  (Crossing 11 

Crane,  J.  C 248 

CresceiitSi)rings,Lake  Itasca.2<i.'>, 273,  285 

Crow  Wing.  Minn 12:< 

Crow    Wing   river,  (or  De  Corbeau,) 

8,  109.  120,  140,  l.V),  1,58,  2'.«,  liOO 

Crozat,  M.,  a  French  officer '.W 

Cuba 10 

Curtis.     Prof.    S.    J.,   Park     Rapids, 

Minn 202,  248 

Cutting,      Hon.     C.     I).,     Klcevllle, 

low. I 208,  248 

Dacai;.  M..  aiiotl'cerof  La  Salle 78 

Dakotas.  tho 44,78 

Danger  lake 255,  2,56,  286,  204 

D'Anville,  geographer 342 

Dassell,  Miss  Minnie,  stenographer,  ■246 

Davis,  C.  K.,  Senator  of  Minn 247 

Davis,   Prof.  W.  M..  Harvard   Coll.. 

•248,  301 
Definitive  Treaty  of  peace,  bet.  Eng. 

and  tlie  U.  S 311 

Delatield.  Col.  Jo.seph,  U.  S.  A 317 

D'Llsle,  maps  by 314 

De  la  Koche,  Sieur 07 

Demaray,  (Jeorgianna.  Mrs 120 

Demaray  creek.  ..16i5,  270,  271,  273,  280.  208 

Depth  of  water 2,50 

Des  .Moines  river 9,  5,5,  6.5.  74 

De  Soto,  Hernando,  dlscoverer,24.  05,  2ii4 

Detroit,  Minn 108.172.179 

Detroit.  Mich 01.  131, 132,  IICJ.  134,  143 

Diplomatic  correspondence,  F.  S  ...  300 

Discovery  of  the  source  12 

Discovery,  what  constitutes 14 

Distances 253.  2.50,  278 

Division  creek '288 

Dobbs,  gi-ographc- 341 

Doe  lake 139. 140,  141 

Dolller.  pt're ....50,    Of) 

Dolly  Varden.  a  boat 106,  ItW 

Douglas,  D.  H.Capt 131.  132 

Down  the  Great  River,  a  lying  book,  20<i 

Dralnagi!  'lasln,  of  Miss,  river 7,  2:t5 

Drake.  Sir  Francis :iO 

Dreulllettes,  i)(->«  6:t 

Droughts,  in  Ita.sca  basin 88,89.  251 

Dubuciue.  Iowa 77 

Duluth.  Sieur 60.    77 

Dunn,  Robt 2t)2 

DuPratz,  Le  Pago 80 

Eastman,  Oapt,,  Seth,  U.  S.  A 151 

Elevations,  sea 241 

Klfelt,  Charles  D.,  St.  Paul,  Minn....  247 

Elizabeth,  Queen :«> 

Elk  creek 258.  286 

Elk  lake..  .4, 110, 110,  120, 12L  162,  172. 
180,  183,  184,  1K5,  188.  189.  194,  106,  208, 
213.  214,  222,  225,  228,  2.56,  2(V),  202,  26;{, 

204,  270,  284,  286,  29:1,  2<)5,  2t)8 

Elk  springs 286 

Ellis.  Henry,  (luoted 341 

Erosion,  by  water 243 

Escauxaques,  an  Indian  tribe 36 

Espiritu  Banto,  Klo  de 18,  la,  28,  20 

Exeter,  N.  11 130 

Eureka,  Wis 62 


INDEX. 


ano 


Falls  of  Saliil  Anthony,  soo  Ht.  Aii- 
t lioiiy  l''sills, 

Fcroo  Isliiiids lis 

I'ilotrano.   Italy 141 

Finney.  T.  S.  sftlltT  at  Itasca -'tU.' 

Flnn.v.  Mrs.  T.  S.,  do '-'tS-J 

Fishery  (juest  Ion XJO,  :ill.  -iC 

FIske,  .John,  (Miotod !> 

Flandraii.  WH UlU 

Float ln>rllo^' crock '-'.'>1.  -'Vj,  'Jf.r> 

Floatint?  MosH  lake.  184.  274.  2r«,  277.  2s!t. 

2!t4.  2!>r> 

Florcnrc.  Italy ..    i:i."> 

Florida 16, 17.  •J.'i.  97.  KK.',  ;t(i7 

Follcs    Avolncs.   the I'-'l 

Folsoin.  Wm.  H.(; 218 

Fond  du  Lac.  Minn 112.  124 

Forests  in    Itasca   basin 2.'i'.» 

Forll,  Italy 1:«' 

Forsyth.  Mai.  Thos  i:i2 

Fort  Brady.  Mich 15!) 

Fort  Creve  Coour 74 

Fort  Frontenac t)7,  M) 

F.Tt    SnelUnfi,    Minn..    i:t.   !:«!.   140. 

141,  14;t.  157 

Fort  St.  Charles 140 

Fort  William 123 

Fox.  Mr.  Uritish  Minister ;t2:i 

Fox  river.  Wis 42.  45,  58,  «4,  i:i:j 

France  cedes  La.  to  Spain l'>0 

France :i07.  :t<w.  310,  :ilO 

Frandiet,  Desire.  Nicollet's   uniide.  l.")7 
Franklin,     Benjamin.. 308,    yOll.    :tlO, 

;ji:j,  :i44.  :!'.h; 

Franquelln.  tlie  Reo«rapher H.'i 

Fra/.ier. ,  Mr.,  settler  of   Itasca.  2w.s 

Frazier  lake 2>*M 

Fremont.  <Jt>n.  .L  C 1.57 

French,  tlie,  discoveries  by IJ8 

French    river  40 

Freytas.  Nidiolas.  padre 36 

Frisbie,  W.  H.  artist 24ti 

Frontenac,    Gov 68 

Frost   Geo.  S.,  Detroit,  Mich 247 

Fur  Companies 113 

Fur  Trade,  the 317 

Galena,  Ills 143 

Galinee,    pi  re 59 

Gallatin,  Alliert,  statesman.. 333,  334,  335 

Galverton  l)ay 34 

Gambler,  Lord,  Britisli  phenipoten- 

tlary 328 

Gannett,  Henry 217.  249 

Oaray,    de    Francis,    Gov.    of    New 

France 17.    18 

Garcilaso    de   la    Vega,    his    work 

quoted 29.    81 

Garrison,  O.  E..  St.  Cloud 187, 19.5,  261 

Garrison.  Mrs.  O.  E 247 

Garrison's  Beaver  Dam 274 

Garrison  Point,  Itasca 18.5.  285 

Gay-gwed-o-say  creek 2n8 

Gelst,  Emil.  St,  Paul 232,  248 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  quoted 342 

Georgia '25 

Georgian  bay 41,46,    50 

Girard,  Minister  of  France 307 

Gilfillan,  llev,,  J.  A...  192,  193,  194,  195,  287 

Gilflllanlake 288 

GhiEler.  Geo.  11,  tourist 191 

Glazier,  Wlllard..l91.  200,  204,  224.  2-i.5. 

2:!0.  261.  289 


(Joldtliwaite's   ("ieographlcal    Maga- 
zine   209 

(iiue.  Clirisiopher,  cliargi'  d'atTalres 

317,3IM.  ;{49 

Goulbnrn,  Lord,  British  plenipoten- 
tiary  328.  :«15 

(iouid.  L.  M '283 

(iraham.  .1.  I)..  I^  S.  A 313 

(iran<l  Marals.  near  St.  Paul 7.'> 

(;ran  i  Portage.  Minn I2:»,  ]'24 

(iiaiit,  Anna,  teacher 262 

(ir.int.  President 34" 

(ireat  Britain 100.  ;t06.  ;t07.  326 

(ireater  Ultimate  Keservolr..  Is4.  2.59. 

2r7.  285.  2<.4,  295.  296,  297.  298  .W 

<;reen.  Mr.,  settler  at  Itasca. 217,  2.'0 

Green  Bay,  Wis 4.5.46.48,51,    57 

(ireen  bav .     ...  63,  70.  13:{ 

(ireen  lake 195 

(irenvllle.  Lord 3  5 

(irignon    fur  trader 124 

(iroseilliers,    Sleur    des     early    ex- 
plorer  47,  .5;t.  55,  57,  .58,  '294 

(Jroseiliiers  lake '287 

Gu.achova.  an  Indian  tr)wn 2t).  27,    29 

tiuif  of  Mexico.. .  16.  IS,  61.  (•><•>.  i:i6. 1."i7, 

llKl,  240,  243,  '^71,  '279,  299 

(iull  liver 158 

Gunlilnt  lake WS 

Hall. Edwin  189 

Hall,  Edwin  S.,  surveyor.,  172. 174, 189, 

195.  214 

Hall  lake 2s7 

ll.iil  road 280 

IIarrowl)y,  British  minister 222.  .IZi 

narrower.  II.  D,,  New  York 213 

llastings,Minn 50 

Hauteurs  des  Torres.  .1.59.  ItU.  167.  180 

1S4.216.  219. 221.  243. 252. 25:),  25.s.  2tr>.?70.  300 
Hawkesbury,  Lord,  British  minister 

317,  .J'22 

Hay  creek 219 

llayden,  F.  V.,  Dr 73 

Hayden.  W.  A.,  topograplier 246 

Hayes.  Mr.  E 261 

Hayes  lake 273 

Haynes.  F.  .1.,  photographer 246 

Heard.  I.  V.  D.,  St.  Paul 288 

Helena.  Arkansas 60.70,    73 

Hernando  de  Soto  lake..  170.  u;3.  270. 

271.  275.  '277.  278,  'is7.  2'.>3.  294,  2',t5  297 
Hill.  Alfred  J . . ,     '2:13.  278.  288,  289,  305.  351 

Hill.  E.  S,,  photographer 246 

Hochelag.a.  Canada 40,    97 

Holland,  Lord,  Brit,  plenipotentiary  324 

Holland 308 

Honduras. 16 

Hopkins.  Kev,.   W.  E..  Park  Rapids. 

.Minn 248,  262 

Houghton.    Dr.  Douglas, 149,  154 

Howard.  .Mrs.  Jane 151.  ■2^li 

Howard  creek 1(S,  '270.  273.  286.  298 

Hubbard  county 211.244.  249 

Hudson's  Bay  Company.  .58,  243,  26.5, 

306,  311,  321.  3'22.  326,  339 

llulbert.  Helen,  Detroit,  Mich 218 

Hunt.  Chas.  A 246 

Hurlbut,  Geo.  C.  N.  Y 191.206,  248 

Huron  lake.  (Mer  Douce) 41.  42,    44 

Hurons.  the 40,41,43,49,51,52,    £8 


356 


INDEX. 


Iberville,  de,  quoted 34,39,84,85,    86 

Ice  sheet,  in  Minn 9 

Illinois,  tlie 51,    73 

Illinois  river 71,74,79,    80 

Infant  Mississippi  river 291 

Iowa 9 

Iron  lake 348 

Iroquois,  the 49,53,56,    60 

Island  creek 251,285 

Isle  des  Alumettes 43 

Isle  Royale 310 

Itasca  Basin,  10,  210,  211,  220,  224,  22i>, 
240,  242,  243,  247,  249,  279,  289,  294,  297,  299 

Itasca  Moraine 242 

Itasca,  lake,  1,  10, 110, 129. 141. 144, 1.53, 
158,  162,  166, 172,  175.  182,  184,  19,  196, 
213,  214,  219.  220.  221,  222.  225,  235.  241, 
244,  249,  2;)2.  25;i,  2.55,  2.56.  257.  259,  260, 
262.  265,  268,  270,  280,  289.  292,  293,  294, 

296.  300 

Its  naming 144 

Mentioned  as  the  source.    See 
"'source." 

Itasca  State  park 12,  1T6 

1  vlson,  Blakenian  &  Co 216,  217 

.lacobla,  Carrie  B.,  teacher 262 

Jay,    .John,    American    statesman. 

308,  309,  311,  315,  316,  338 

.TefTerson,  Thos 308.  332 

.lelTery,  T.,  quoted 31.5,  342 

.leune,  C.,ptre. 44 

.lewett,  C.  F.,  draughtsman 246 

Jogues.  pfTe 47 

Johnston.  Jane 146 

.Johnston.  John 146 

Joiiet,  Louis,  early  French  explorer. 

36,  57,  60.  62.  C^l,    64 
Josephine  lake 9,  253,  256,  286,  294 

Kankakee  river.  Ill 71 

Keg-wed-zis-sag,  an  Ojibwa  Indian. 

150,  158 

Keokuk,  Iowa 65 

Kettle  holes 10 

Kettle  river.  Minn 56 

King,    Kufus,    American    minister. 

317,  318,  319,  .320 

Knisteneaux,  Indians 47,    54 

Kirk,  T.  H.,  Asst.  Supt.  Pub.  Instr. 

Minn 218,225,  248,  261 

Kribs,  Frederick,    surveyor.    Park 

Rapids,  Minn 246 

Labrador 97 

Lac  la  Biche,  (Elk  lake),  4, 123, 124, 

132, 134,  139.  284 

Lac  la  Pluie 347 

Lac  la  Rouge 124 

La  Crosse 74 

Lac  Travers 123 

Lagny,  de,  Mons 71 

La  Hontan,  Baron 88 

Lake,  Ako.    See  Accault. 

Allen.    See  Allen  lake. 

Champlain 312 

Clarke.    See  Clarke  lake. 

Doe.    See  Doe  lake. 

Elk.    See  Elk  lake. 

Oilfillan.    See  Glltillan  lake. 

Glazier 197 


Hall.    See  Hall  lake. 

Hernando  de  Soto.     See  Hernando 
de  Soto  lake. 

Huron 36,51,  131,  330,  3117 

Iron.    See  Iron  lake. 

Itasca.    See  Itasca  lake. 

Josephine.    See  Josephine  lake. 

Julia 138,  284 

Leecli.    See  Leech  lake. 

Manitoba 10 

Little  Man  Trap.    See  Little  Man 
Trap  lake. 

Long.    See  Long  lake. 

Mary.    See  Mary  lake. 

Michigan 36,  51,    71 

Morrison.    See  Morrison  lake. 

Neplssing 307.  308 

Nioollet.    See  Nicollet  lake. 

Pepin 75,  132 

Bed.    See  Red  lake. 

Sandy.    See  Sandy  lake 

Sii)ilant.    See  Sibilant  lake. 

Superior .  49.  .50,  54,  .58.  60, 1!7, 130, 
132,  279, 299,  J^OO,  310,  313.  314,  315, 

329.  334,  341,  344 

Turtle.    See  Turtle  lake. 

Twin.    See  Twin  lake. 

Whipple 274,275,276,  277 

Wiiite  Bear.    See  White  Bear  lake. 

Winnipeg 10 

Winnebago .57,  64.  117 

Winnebegoshish.     See     Winnebe- 
goshish  lake. 

^Voods,  of  the. .  .124.  .300.  305,  306. 
310,  313,  314.  31.5.  316.  317,  319,  320, 
321,  324,  327,  328.  329,  330,  332,  334, 
337.  338,  339,  342.  344,  345,  346, 348, 

350.  351 

Lamberton,  N.  J 128 

Lanman,  Charles )H7 

La  Place  river 158 

La  I'ointe,  Wis 57,63,  112 

La  Potherie.  quoted 59 

La  Salle,  Ren6  Cavalier,  Sieur  de.. 

48,  .59.  60,  61,  62.  69,  71,  Ti,  76,  80,  81,  98 
Laurens.  Henry. plenipotentiary .308,  309 
Leech  lake. .9, 123, 126, 141, 146, 1.50, 158, 

161.  194,  284,  300 

Leech  Lake  river 161 

Length  of  Mississippi  river.  ...- 236 

L'Escarbot,  quoted 97 

Lesser  Ultimate  Reservoir.  ..256,  285,  294 

Le  Sleur,  a  murderer 124 

Le  Sueur,  Pierre 88,  132 

Letang,  Mr.,  a  fur  trader 123 

Lewis,  T.  H..  archaeologist.  ..109, 197,  248 

Little  Boy  river 8,  158 

Little  Elk  lake 287 

Little  Falls.  Minn 126 

Little  Man  Trap  lake. 9. 10,175, 183,288,  289 
Livingston,    Robert  R.,    American 

statesman  311 

London  Eng. 300,310.  315 

Long,  Maj.  S.  H 136,  339 

Long  lake 310,  314 

Lost  river,  Minn Q 

Louisiana.  .98, 104, 105, 125, 318, 320,  321, 

322.  329,  334 

Louisville,  Ky 61 

Louisville  Courier- Journal 179 

Lowe,  Mr.,  Itasca  lake 219 


INDEX. 


3;u 


Lyendecker,  John. Sauk  Center. .248, 

258,  -363,  289,  2yj 
Lyendecker  lako 288 

McBeun.  John,  fur  trader 124 

Maekay,  Lieut ia2 

McKay,  S.  A.,Rev.,  Owatonna.  Minn. 

248,  2(i2,  280 

McKay  lake 268 

McKenzie,  Alex.,  author 124,217,  3!9 

Macerata.  Italy 135 

Mackinac,  (Miehllimackinac)..46,  50, 

70,  91, 123,  124 

McMullen,  Wm 264 

Macoiub.  A.,  Gen 152 

Madoc,  Welch  explorer    15 

Madison,  .lames,  American  states- 
man .  .317.  318,  319,  320,  321,  323,  324,  3*27 

Mandans,  trilie  of 117 

Mandeville,  Sieur,  French  officer. . ..    91 

ManitoDa 117 

Maps,  general  references..  16.  28,100, 

110,  313.  315,  317,  336,  340,  342.  343 
Maps,  in  the  text. 

Ortelius  (1580),    valley   of   the 

Miss. 33 

Sanson  (165G).  valley  of  thcMiss.  35 
Orontlus  (1531),    valley  of   the 

M  iss 37 

•Toliet  (1674),  Miss,  river  67 

Hennepin  (1683),  La   Nouvelle 

France...     78 

D' Lisle     (1703),     La     Nouvelle 

France 90 

I)' Lisle    (1750),    La     Nouvelle 

France 93 

Jefferys  (162)   Canada 113 

Carver  (17i;6),  Upper  Miss 115 

Pike  (180.-)),  Upper  Miss 127 

Schoolcraft  (1820),  Upper  Miss.  133 

Beltrami  ( 1828),  L^pper  M Iss 139 

Eastman  (1855),  Upper  Miss 148 

,  Schoolcraft  (1855),  Upper  Miss.  156 

Chambers    (1872),     source     of 

Miss 168 

Shen-e-wis-i-schick      (189  0), 

sources  of  Miss 193 

Glazier  (1881),  sources  of  Miss..  199 
Glazier  (1891),  sources  of  Miss..  207 
Clarke.H.(1886),sour'sof  Miss..  21.i 
Brower,  J.  V.  (1888),  sources  of 

Miss 229 

Hill,  A.  J.  (1892),  sour's  of  Miss.  3:J6 

Hill  (1892),  Lake  of  Woods  340 

Mitchell,    John,     (17.')5),    Lake 

of  Woods 343 

Brower,    J.     V.    (1892),    Itasca 
Basin. 

Margry,  Pierre,  historian 81,    94 

Manjuette,  pi-re 36,  63,  64,    65 

Marsh,  I.  N.,  settler  at  Itasca 211 

Mary  creek.  ..214,  220,  250,  251,  253,  2.A 

285,  298 

Mary  lake 159,  255.  256.  286,  204,  2J8 

Mary  valley 10,  210,  220,  250, 233,  285 

Maskoutens 45.57,58,    63 

Measuremep ts. 2,-)3.  259,  273 

Merriam.  Wm.  H.,  Gov.  of  Minn 233 

Meteorology 278 

Mexico 140 

Gulf  of 6,16,18,24,61,    66 

Michigan 130 


Michilimaekinac.    See  Mackinac. 

Middlebury,  Vt 142 

Midway  reservoir 2.55,  285 

Mikennalake 274.  288 

Mllle  Lacs  lake 75.  112 

Miller.  N.  D..  engineer 242,  248 

Milwaukee.  Wis 143 

Mines 348 

Minnesota 351 

Minno.sota  river iVi 

Minnesota  legislature 198 

Minnesota  Historical  StK-iety..l2,  93, 

224,  230.  2;U,  232,  23;{.  293 
Mississippi  river. .18.  2;i.  36,  39,40.4.5. 
50,  52.  56.  (;2.  63,  130,  132,  238,  283,  284, 
289,  299,  305.  307,  310,  31-1,  316,  319,  320.  b28 

Missouri,  state 43 

M  issou  rl  r i  ver . .  7, 52,  &"),  99, 1 17, 157, 240,  297 
Mitchell.  John,  map. .313,  314,  343,  344,  345 

Mobile  bay 9,    20 

Mobile  river 18 

Monroe,   James,   American    states- 
man  3,0,322,323,324.32?,  3:!2 

Montreal 40,  .59.  317 

Moraine,  tlie  Itasca 9,10,  270 

Morison,  Alex.  H 122 

Morrison,  Allan 122 

Morrison,  Wm....l20, 122, 128, 181,  218, 

2:10,  i  i3  286    294 
Morrison,  Hill,.  164,  169,  176. 'fsi,' 183', 

189,  213,  258,  270,  285,  287 

Morrison  lake 293,  294,  295,  297 

Moscoso,  Luys,  Spanish  commander.    26 

Motley,  Minn 8,  214 

Mounds Its,  109 

Mouse  river 117 

Muscatine,  Iowa 65 

Naudowessies  (Sioux).  .47,  49,  .50, 51.  54, 

56,  58,  72,  114 

Names  of  objects  at  Itasca 284 

Names  of  rivers 282 

Naming  of  Itasca 145 

Napochles,  trlbeof 30 

Narvaez,  de  Panfilo 20 

Natchez 103 

Nelll,  E.  D.  (Rev.) 247.  i5l 

Nelson,  Geo.,  early  fur  trader 124 

Nelson  river 3119 

Nepissing  lake 40,    43 

Newfoundland 39,  197 

New  France 69,    98 

New  Madrid,  Mo 26 

New  Orleans 104,105,  141 

New  York,  state 312 

New  York,  city 143,  213 

New  York  Herald 166 

Niagara  Falls 143 

Nicollet,  Jean,  early  explorer,43. 44.4.5,    46 
Nicollet,  Jean  N,.  explorer. .110.  1,5,5, 
163, 181, 192,  195,  206,  214,  218,  230,  268, 

270,  273.  278,  289,  294,  295.  296,  351 

Nicollet's  creek 209,222,  251,  253 

Nicollet's  Infant  Mississippi 268,  275 

Nicollet's  Jake 289,  294 

Nicollet's  upper   lake. ..160,  270,  271, 

274,  277,  284,  295 

Nicoxiefs  middle  lake 275,  284 

Nicollet's  lower  lake 271,274,284,  298 

Nicollet's  springs 270,273,  '295 

Nicollet's  valley 250,258,270,286,  298 

Niemadalake 289 


358 


INDEX. 


N'ilco,  an  Indian  town 2!t 

Norlli  Diikotii    !> 

Northern  Pacific  11.  H..l:34,  lt)6,  175, 

177, 179,  19L' 

Northwest  Co 11 

North  tvestern  Ixjundary.  See  boundary.- 
Nova  Scotia 'M7 

Oalcep.  T.  F.,  New  Yorlt 2i(^ 

Ochecliiton aO 

Ohio  river 29,60,61,65.80.283,  311 

Ojibwas,  the Ill 

Omosl^os  Sagaigon  (Elltlalce) 119,  284 

Ortelius,  his  work  quoted 32 

Osases,  the  53,    72 

Oswald,    Biciiard,    British   plonipo- 

tentiary 308,  309,  310.  346 

Otepe,  Mr.,  an  early  trader 12;i 

Ottawa  river 40,44,4,5,    51 

Ottawas,  the 51,52,    58 

Otter  Tail  lalte 123 

Ouat«uat.  Indians.    See  Ottawas. 

Oviedo,  Spanish  author 22,28.    94 

O-za-wind-ib.     Ojibwa   Indian.. 145. 

148,  149,  150.  1.53 
Ozawindib  point 251 

Pacific  ocean 305 

Pacaha.  an  Indian  town 25,    27 

Paine.  Barrett  Channinj; 191.  196,  197 

Paris 135,155.307,308,310.311.  319 

Park.  Itasca 22:i.  232.  233 

Park  Bapids,  Minn 24.  214,  216.241,  242 

Park  region,  the 233 

Pascagoula  river.  Miss 18 

Patoutet 60 

Patterson,  Mr.,  a  tourist 219,  228 

Patterson's  cabin.  Lake  Itasca. .  .244,  268 

Peel,  Sir  Robert 346 

Pembina.  N.  D 159 

Pembina  river 117 

Penalosa,  Gov.  of  New  Mexico 36 

Penicaut,  early  e.tplorer 91 

Pennsylvania 310 

Pensaeola,  Fla 22 

Peoria  lake.  Ill 71,    70 

Peouaria  tribe 65 

Perrot.  Nicholas 58,59,60.    64 

Philadelpliia,  Pa 136.  2;J0 

Picard  du  Gay  lake 274,  288 

Pictured  rocks,  Lake  Superior 148 

Pierrepont,  a  murderer 124 

Pigeon  river 314,  348 

Pig's  Eye  (St.  Paul,  Minn.) 75 

Pike,  Gen.  Z.  M 123, 126. 132, 140,  383 

Pillagers,  the 123 

Pine  River,  Minn 126,128,  158 

Pineda,  de  Alonso  Alvarez 17 

Pinkney,  Wm.,  American  state<?man 

323,324.327.  332 

Pokeguma  Falls 300 

Pokeguma  lake 9 

Ponoede  Leon,  Spanish  explorer. 17,    20 

Popple,  Henry,  atias 314 

Porter,  Jeremiah,  Rev  154.  248 

Porter.  Peter  B.. U.S. commissioner.  337 

Portugal 1.6,    38 

Pottawatomies,  the 51 

Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis 123,132,  327 

Pre-historlc  races 108.  109 

Princeton,  Wis 664 

Ptolemy,  map 16 


Quebec 27.40.  4«,  49.  64.  311 

(,>iii/.(|iii/..  iin   IiKiiantown 25,    27 


Radisson,  Sieur.  Pierre  d'Rsprit  ..47. 
4!^,  .'■)1,  52,  .53.  5;').  56.  57,  .58, 

Radisson  Lake 

Rainy  lake.". 344.347. 

Rainy  lake  river 3(i5. 

Ramsey.    Ale.x.,   prest.    of     Minn. 

Hist.  Soc 

Ranjel,  Rodrigo,  Spanish  officer 

Rat   Portage 339,  345. 

Rayr.ibault.  Pere 

Reaunie,  fur  trader 

P.;d  Cedar  lake 123, 

Red  lake 9,10. 114. 

Ked  lake  river 117, 

Red  river  (of  the  north). .  .9,  83, 109, 
117, 136,  157,  216.  279.  299. 

Hed  river  (of  the  south) 

Red  river  trail 

Red  river  valley  

Red  Wing 

Reservoir,     great      ultimate.      See 

"Greater  ultimate,"  etc. 
Reservoir,  lesser,  etc.     See  "Lesser 

ultimate."  etc. 
Reservoir,  midway.     Sec  "Midway 

reservoir."  *. ic. 

Reservoirs.  Itasca  basin 

Relations,  tlie,  .lesuit 43, 

Rliodes.  1).  t'..  photographer 246. 

Rliodes,  J.  H.,of  Little  Falls 

Ricc.N.  W 

Rice  lakes 9, 

Rice's  Minn 

Richardson  &  CV).,  fur  traders 

Rio  Grande  del  Norte 16,  25,  30,  85, 

River  of  Palms 16, 

Rob  Roy,  a  l)ojit 

Robinson.    Fred.    John,   a    British 

plenipotentiary 

Rock  paintings 

Rock  Island.  Ill 

Rocky  Mountains 235,  325,  297,  330, 

Rock  river,  111 

Rogers,  Robert,  quoted 

Rouse's  Point,  Vt 

Rowe,  Barbara,  mOvlior  of  School- 
Craft 

Royal  Geographical  Society,  Lon- 
don  198,20.5, 

Rum  river 75,77.109. 

Rush.  Richard,  American  minister 
to  Great  Britain 333,  334, 

Russell.  Jerome 

Russia 


294 

2^7 
348 
308 

224 

28 
3.50 

47 
123 
127 
137 
316 

300 

157 

188 

9/ 

50 


11 
9i 
261 
248 
262 
1^0 
126 
124 
282 
21 
181 


109 
74 

348 

99 

101 

312 

142 

300 
113 

SS5 

328 
327 


Sageun.   Matthias f7 

St.  Anthony  Falls 52,  73,  76.  89.  90 

1.52,  157,  316 

St.  Clair  river 131 

Saint  Cloud,  Minn 183 

Saint  Croix  river.... 47,  77,  109, 12, 114, 

310,  316 

St.  Esprit,  Mission  57 

Saint  Francis  river 114 

Saint  Francis  Xavier  Mission 57 

Saint  Jacques  mission 57 

SaintJoseph,  Mich 123 


INDEX. 


859 


Saint  Lawrence  river 40,  41.  61,  Si. 

11(5,  :«i7,  312,  :ii4,  air.  dsr.  3:17 

Siiiut  Louis.  Mt> 120,  12«,  IHti 

Saint  Louis  river 132,  14;i,  239 

St.  Marc,  mission ."ST 

Saint  Marl<s.  town  of  Fla 21 

Saint  Petersburg 327 

Saint  Paul  and  Dulutli  Railway 214 

Sanborn,.!.  B  .Gen 233 

Sandy  lake,  Minn 32,  8li,  112.  117 

Saul<  Rapids 7i>,  11.5 

SaultSte  Marie,  Midi.. 47,  60,  112.  131, 

144.  147 

Saulteaux,  Indians 54 

Savannah,  Ga.  307 

Sayres,  Mr.,  a  fur  trader 123,  124 

ScheflFer,  D.   .1.,  mentioned 2!);{ 

S<ihenectady,  N.  Y 142 

ScMiolcraft,  Henry  U...  4,  121,  131,  132, 

152,  181,  192,  200,  206,  213,  214,  218,  2;t0 

284.  2f<9 
Schoolcraft,    Lawrence,  (father    of 

H.  li) 142 

Schoolcraft  island.. 3, 14.5, 149,  l,5;i.  159 
166,  180,  194, 196,  221,  249,  251,  2->2,  278,  291 

Science,  tlie 213 

Scuri.  Prof .  an  Italian  artist 141 

Sellfirlt.  Lord 325 

Sha-wun-uk-u-mig,  an  O.jlbwa  Iix- 

dian 188 

Sliea,.Iohn  G 94 

Sliell  Prairie,  Minn 175 

Sheyennes,  the 73 

Sibilant  lake 220.251,287 

Sibley,  H.  H.,  prest.  of  tlie  Minn. 

Hist.  Soc 161 

Siegfried,  A.  H.,  explorer 179 

Siegfried  creek 181,  195 

Sioux  1  id  Ojibways,  warfare 112 

Smallpox  among  Indians 124 

Smythe,  J.  F.  D.,  quoted 81 

Soto.    See   De  Soto. 

Spring  Ridge  creek,. 270,273,  288 

Source  of  a  river.     whatisitV 236 

Source,  (of  the  Miss.  riverK.l,  12, 117, 

128, 130,  137,  143,  157.  2:!2,  2:U,  237,  26:^. 

289,  291,  295,  2y7,  395,  317,  319.  321,  323 

South  America 16 

South  Carolina 25,    28 

Spain  38,  96,  100,  310,  323,  325 

Spanisli  accounts  of  discovery  — 14,    15 

Spring  Ridge 288 

Spring  liidge  creek 270,273,288 

Springs 275 

Stony     Mountains.       See     "'llocky 

Mountains." 

Stony  Ridge 10,175.    10 

Survey,  d'.  S.),  of  lake  Itasca.      171,  177 
Survey,  by  J,  V.  Brower..l  2,3,21.5, 

225,  234,  244 
Strachy,    British    under-secretary. 

308,  309,  310,  311 

Superior  copper  mines 143 

Superior  Historical  Society 121 

Sweeney,  Peter  C, settler  at  Itasca.  177 

Talahassee  river 21 

Taliaferro.  Ma.j.  U.S.  Indian  agent.  15i 
Talon,  latendant  of   New    France. 

58.  61,    62 

Tampa  bay  25 

Tennessee 25 


Tennes.see  river 83 

Tensas  river 17 

Tetons,  the 58 

Texas 24 

Thompson,  David,  astronomer..  117, 

139,  316,  317,  373 

Three  Rivers.  Can 44,51,    .54 

Tiarks.  Dr  ,  Britisli  astronomer.. 34.5. 

346,  347 

Toml)igbee  river 20 

Tontv,    Clievaiier,    French     nol)le- 

nian 77.    87 

Toronto,  Canada 128 

Traverse  lake: 56 

Treaty.of  1794 315 

of  1807 314 

of  1818 .333,  335 

of  Amiens 104 

Fontainebleau 99 

of  Ghent  (1814) 327.  328 

of  Ghent 333,334,337,  347 

of  Paris  (1783) 102,  ((8,  310,  322 

of  Han  Ildeford 104 

between  Spain  and  U.  S.  (1795)..  103 

of  Utrecht 321,322,  323 

of  Versailles 102 

Trenipeleau,  Wis 74 

Triplets,  the  (lakes) 274.  27.5,  276,  287 

Truesdell,  Wm.  A.,  civil  engineer, 

St.  Paul  24,  248 

Turnbull,  Peter,  civilengineer(Park 

Rapids) 10,  209,  210,  246,  261,  28.5.  286 

Turnbull's  road 210.  2.53 

Turnbull  point 250 

Turtle  Lake 129.  138 

Turtle  river 300.  305 

Tw  ining,  W.J.,  Capt.  U.  S.  A.,  astron- 
omer  346 

Tffin  Lakes 255,256,286,  294 

Two  Rivers,  Minn 126,  128 

Twiss,  Traverse,  quoted 341 

Ultimate  reservoir,  greater.    See  great- 
er, &c. 
Ultimate  reservoir,  lesser.     See  lesser, 
&c. 

United  States 101,  307,  308,  32t) 

House  of  Representatives  .      .  385 

President 318,  319,  378 

Upham  Warren,  geologist 8 

Upham  lake 243 

Utica.  Ill 71 

Utrecht,  treatyof 142 

Vanderpool.  F..  a  tourist,  219,  220,  221,  262 

Varnhagen,  Count 16 

Vera  Cruz,  Mexico 17 

Vergennes,  h  rench  minister 308,  310 

Verndale,  Minn 183 

Verendry,  explorer 92,  341 

Vermcmt 312 

Vespuciu.s,  Americus 16 

Waddon,  Mr.,  a  fur  trader 124 

Wanzer,  Maj  Cliarles,  civil  engineer  246 

Warner,  A.  T.,  Park  Rapids 264,  293 

Warren,  W.  W.,  his  work  on  tlie  Ojib- 

\\  a  nation,  quoted 112 

W:    liington,  George 315 

Washington,  state 305 

Watal>,  Minn 113 

Water,  depth  of 250 


360 


INDEX. 


Webster,  Daniel 108,  346 

Wells,  Alex.,  surveyor 346 

Welsh,  the  discoverers  of  America..    15 
Wheeloclv,  Joseph  A.  (St.  Paul  Pio- 

ncGr  I*rt?ss) . . , .  2U2 

Whipple  laiie','  i'sY,  188"l89,"2i6,'226,'27'l', 

2;  4,  287,  2{t4,  295,  298 

White  Bear  Lalte,  Minn 283 

White  Earth  Agency,  Minn.  10,166,179,  188 

Wild  Uice  river 166 

Wilmington,  Del 130 

Wincheil,   N.  U.,  State  geoloRist  of 

Minnesota. 8, 1S2,  225,  2:J2 


Wlnnebagoes,  the 42,  43,    46 

Winnebago  lake 46 

Winnebigoshlsh  lalie 236 

Winnipeg  lalce....   49,  341 

Winsor,  Justin,  quoted 32,  2a5 

Wisconsin  river 45,  64,66,74,  327 

vv'olcott,  Dr.,  member  of  Cass'  party.  132 
Wulsin,  Lucien,  of  Cincinnati,  O.lfg,  248 

Yazoo  pass 32 

Yollowhead  river 160,  300 

Yorli,  Canada,  battle  of 121 

Yucatan 17 


